Canadian Jews faced their “highest ever” number of antisemitic incidents during month of May

Canadian Jews faced their “highest ever” number of antisemitic incidents recorded in a month during May, a new study has shown.

The study, published on Wednesday by B’nai Brith Canada, showed that 250 reported incidents of antisemitism took place in May, the highest number since the organisation began collecting figures in 1982.

The 250 reported incidents included 154 incidents of harassment, 51 incidents of vandalism, and 61 incidents of violence. “Many other online incidents” are still being reviewed.

The group said: “One alarming finding that has not been sufficiently publicised is the degree of antisemitism present at anti-Israel rallies. In almost every city where such rallies took place, Jews were singled out and targeted for abuse by angry mobs of demonstrators. These rallies were not the typical kind of civil and lawful political protests with which most Canadians are familiar. Many of these events devolved into open hatefests with blatantly antisemitic, obscene, and violent rhetoric.”

“The dangerous rise of antisemitism in the month of May must serve as a wake-up call to all Canadians,” B’nai Brith added. “If, as a society, we stand united against hate, then we must also stand united against antisemitism. If left to fester, the hatred of Jews will lead to the fraying of the very foundations of our civil society.”

We recently reported on Canada’s significant increase in antisemitic incidents during the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, offered his support to Canada’s Jews. In a tweet, he wrote: “I am deeply disturbed by recent reports of antisemitic acts in Montreal and across the country. This intimidation and violence is absolutely unacceptable – and it must stop immediately. There is no place for hate of any kind in Canada.”

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