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Antisemitic vandalism found at Winnipeg underpass 

Antisemitic vandalism has been discovered at an underpass in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The graffiti appears to be have been spray-painted and includes text such as “Hail Hitler [sic]” and “KKKanada”. 

The vandalism was reported and has subsequently been removed by the City of Winnipeg. 

Of the vandalism, Marvin Rotrand, National Director of B’nai Brith Canada, said that he was not surprised due to the frequency of such messages in Canada. He also said of the impact of the graffiti that it is “meant to hurt, and it does”. 

Earlier this year, antisemitic graffiti was reported at a primary school in Peterborough, Ontario.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Antisemitic graffiti discovered in Ontario park

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered at Richard B. Harrison Park, in London, Ontario. 

The graffiti, which also featured and anti-LGBTQ+ language, was found scrawled onto playground equipment. It included several swastikas and the phrases: “Heil Hitler”; “No to lgbtq, yes to fascism [sic]”; and “I hate lgbtq”. 

The vandalism was reported to the local authorities and is under investigation. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Ottawa educational assistant reported to have praised terrorists

An Educational Assistant at a school in Ottawa has reportedly praised terrorists on social media. 

The media watchdog, Honest Reporting, has uncovered a number of historic online posts that appear to have been published by Abeer Mousa.

According to the expose, Ms Mousa posted a photo of Karim Younis earlier this year at Mr Younis’ mother’s grave following his release from prison. Mr Younis’ imprisonment followed his conviction for the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1983.

In another post from 2018, Ms Mousa appears to praise Dalal Mughrabi in Arabic as a “martyr” who “proved to the whole world that women are equal to men in sacrifice and self-sacrificing.” 

Ms Mughrabi was a Lebanese member of the Fatah faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. She was involved in a notorious attack in Israel in 1978, in which a group of terrorists hijacked a bus with the goal of reaching the Israeli Knesset. The operation left 38 Israelis dead, which included thirteen children. 

In response to a tweet about the murder of the nineteen-year-old Israeli soldier, Omri Levy, Ms Mousa reportedly wrote in Arabic: “and hopefully [also] his father, his family and his entire people. May Allah burn them.” 

In another alleged post in Arabic from 2014, Ms Mousa appears to have written: “This enemy [Israel] doesn’t understand but the fight, the rifle, the stone, the car-ramming, the stabbing and the homeland [Palestine] will not be liberated without that. The rest is absolutely empty talk.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Ottawa man faces terror charges with alleged links to neo-Nazi group

A man in Ottawa has been charged in relation to terrorism and hate propaganda following allegations of links to the neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division. 

Patrick Gordon Macdonald, 26, faces three charges, namely participating in activity of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity, and commission of offence for a terrorist group.

Mr Macdonald is alleged to have created videos that were intended to recruit new members for the organisation and encourage acts of terrorism.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said: “The case is the first in Canada in which an individual advocating a violent far-right ideology has been charged with both terrorism and hate propaganda.”

The Canadian Public Safety Department listed the Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist group in 2021. 

The organisation is a paramilitary neo-Nazi group that trains its members in the use of firearms and reportedly seeks to ignite a race war. 

In January 2022, Atomwaffen Division leader, Kaleb Cole, was sentenced to seven years in prison in connection with a plot to target journalists and activists.

In 2021, the UK proscribed Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist organisation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Antisemitic graffiti discovered at Canada primary school

Antisemitic graffiti has been discovered on the premises of a primary school in Peterborough, Canada.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board stated that the graffiti was discovered on the exterior of the school in several locations.

Peterborough police reported the incident and said that “it has been classified as a hate/bias crime.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit. 

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Jewish educator Tyler Samuels on how the Spanish Inquisition led to Jewish life in the Caribbean

Tyler Samuels, a Canadian-based Sephardic Jamaican Jew whose educational Jewish history content focuses on the Jews of the Caribbean and Canada, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about how Jewish life in the Caribbean was the result of Jews fleeing persecution during the Spanish Inquisition.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Mr Samuels said that when Spanish and Portuguese Jews fled to Caribbean islands, the islands were under the occupation of Spain, although the laws of religious observance were not fully enforced. Regardless, Jewish life was not allowed to flourish, and texts from that time reportedly referred to Jews in the area as “not real Christians”, the educator said. This led to Jews in the Caribbean remaining fearful.

Following the English invasion of Jamaica, Jews were able to practice openly and a wave of Sephardic Jewish immigration began. By 1720, a reported eighteen percent of Jamaica’s population was Jewish.

However, according to Mr Samuels, antisemitism was still prevalent. Jews living in Barbados, for example, “went through a lot of oppression and persecution under the British colonial government.”

He added: “Apparently, there was even a ghetto established for them at one point.”

While Jews living in Jamaica had a far different experience, they were still subject to economic discrimination, he said. 

He said of Jewish families in the Caribbean: “Yes, they had some rights, but whether they were living under Dutch, or British, or even French colonial rule, they always had to fight for the little bit of human rights, when they had gone through so much of the Inquisition.”

According to Mr Samuels, there is today a “thriving Jewish community in Jamaica,” with the synagogue in Kingston, built over one hundred years ago, welcoming Jews of many backgrounds. 

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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“Stop condemning antisemitism”: comedian who made inflammatory remarks about Israel and Jewish people books tour of Canada

A comedian who urged his supporters to “stop condemning antisemitism” and has made numerous inflammatory statements about Israel and Jewish people, has booked a tour of Canada. 

The Canadian Jewish community has expressed its outrage after Amer Zahr’s tour was announced.

Mr Zahr has voiced his support for Hamas and Hizballah, saying that “we stand with every resistance against Israel and against the occupation, whether it’s called…Hamas, Hizballah,” and has described Zionism as a “white supremacist movement from Europe.” He has also claimed that “Israel [is] based on Jewish supremacy,” and expressed admiration for terrorist hijacker Leila Khaled.

As a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Ms Khaled took part in two terrorist hijackings in 1969 and 1970. The US Government has designated the PFLP as a terrorist organisation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, where incidents have recently increased dramatically.

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Newfoundland and Labrador adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

Newfoundland and Labrador has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

Seven of Canada’s provinces have now adopted the Definition, in addition to the Federal Government. 

Cabinet Minister Gerry Byrne released a statement on behalf of the province’s Government stating: “We remain unwavering in our commitment to always challenge antisemitism, wherever and whenever it occurs.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision, which demonstrates Newfoundland and Labrador’s solidarity with the Jewish community.

Recently, Saskatchewan, Brunswick and Manitoba have also adopted the Definition.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Newfoundland and Labrador joins a growing list of national, provincial and local governments around the world to use the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Canadian academic convicted of carrying out terrorist bombing outside Paris Synagogue 43 years ago

A Canadian university professor has been convicted of carrying out a 1980 terrorist bombing outside a synagogue in Paris.

Hassan Diab, 69, a Lebanese-born sociologist of Palestinian-Arab heritage at Carleton University in Ottawa, has been given a life sentence for planting the motorcycle bomb outside the Rue Copernic Synagogue. Four people were killed and 46 were wounded.

The bombing took place on Friday evening on 3rd October 1980, near the beginning of Shabbat and during the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah.

The neo-Nazi Federation of National and European Action took responsibility, but investigators concluded that Arab terrorists were in fact behind the attack, and eventually sought the extradition of Prof. Diab, which was granted in 2011. He spent over three years in prison in France while the investigation continued, only for the charges to be dismissed in 2018, with Prof. Diab able to return to Canada. Appeals courts in France reversed the dismissal, however, paving the way for this trial.

Prof. Diab has always claimed that he was in Lebanon at the time of the bombing. His conviction in absentia is likely to be followed by a second extradition request.

Responding to the verdict, the Hassan Diab Support Committee, which includes the former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make it “absolutely clear” that no second extradition would be accepted.

It  was the first deadly attack against Jewish people in France since the end of WWII and became a template for future such attacks by Islamist terrorist groups.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism in France and throughout Europe.

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Saskatchewan adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

Saskatchewan has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Province’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Bronwyn Eyre, said: “During this spiritual holiday season, it’s important to come together in peace. Antisemitism is on the rise and must be condemned, along with all forms of intolerance and hatred.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision, which demonstrates Saskatchewan’s solidarity with the Jewish community.

Recently, Brunswick and Manitoba also adopted the Definition.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Saskatchewan joins a growing list of national, provincial and local governments around the world to use the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Vancouver adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

The City of Vancouver adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The adoption came following a six to one vote at the City’s council.

Cllr. Sarah Kirby-Yung, of A Better City (ABC) Vancouver, tabled the resolution to adopt. Prior to casting her vote, she said: “At its very root for me, when I distil it down, this is really about education. Education is the most powerful tool that we have against hate. It’s more powerful than any punitive actions could be.”

In July, the Premier of British Columbia expressed support for the Definition. Nicolas Slobinsky said: “To effectively combat one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred, we must first clearly identify it. In this light, we see the [International] Definition as an important non-legally binding educational tool to help us determine what is and what is not antisemitic, which allows us to work toward a society that is better for all British Columbians.”

So far this year, Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick have adopted the Definition, joining Ontario which adopted it previously.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds Vancouver’s adopted, which demonstrate the city’s solidarity with the Jewish community at a time of growing antisemitism in Canada.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

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Activist reveals how Jewish pride “saved her life” following threats and attempts to leak her address

Ysabella Hazan, a Canadian activist and the founder of Decolonized Judean, a movement based on Jewish pride and empowerment which seeks to educate people about Judaism through the perspective of a Jewish lens, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where she explained how Jewish pride saved her life after being on the receiving end of threats.

Ms Hazan said that certain community leaders advised her to stop posting her online content, which focuses predominantly on antisemitism and Jewish empowerment, due to fears regarding her safety. Concerns grew once people attempted to post her phone number and address online.

“I had security cameras installed in my house,” the activist revealed. “They said ‘stop posting’. But I’m not saying anything that’s inflammatory. I shouldn’t be discouraged to wear my Magen David (Star of David).”

However, Ms Hazan refused to remain silent. Two of Montreal’s most prominent news outlets reached out to her, and she then provided them with screenshots of the threats that she had received. 

“It made it to the front page of their newspaper. I said ‘My family didn’t leave Morocco to be persecuted by the same brand of antisemitism that they experienced there’.”

A Canadian minister would then go on to retweet her, raising awareness of her situation, and people would begin to take notice.

Ms Hazan said: “So when this happened, the threats stopped. The person who was threatening me, who was leading a movement against me…he stopped because he saw that this girl is not going to stop.”

The activist said that the response to the incident invoked “a sense of pride within the community”. 

She added: “No one wanted to mess with me anymore. They said ‘This girl…the more we bother her, the more she gets stronger, we’re going to leave her alone’. So, the Jewish pride is what saved me. Had I stopped, had I cowered, they would have sensed that fear and they would have acted.”

Throughout the interview, Ms Hazan touched upon a variety of other issues which included how she tackles antisemitism through a framework of ‘decolonisation’, why she believes it is so important to remain visibly Jewish and how her family escaped persecution.

This podcast can be listened to here, or watched here.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Manitoba and New Brunswick become latest Canadian provinces to adopt International Definition of Antisemitism

Manitoba and New Brunswick have become the latest Canadian provinces to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The Premier of New Brunswick formalised a declaration endorsing the Definition last week. The text resolves that New Brunswick “endorses and adopts the working definition of antisemitism as adopted by the IHRA Plenary on 26th May, 2016.”

The two provinces join Ontario and Alberta among Canada’s regions that have adopted the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decisions, which demonstrate Manitoba’s and New Brunswick’s solidarity with the Jewish community at a time of growing antisemitism in Canada.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

Image credit: Jimmy Emerson, DVM

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No place for ‘heinous’ hate messages says Principal of prestigious Canadian university

The Principal of a leading Canadian university has said there was “no place” for “antisemitism or for hate or violence of any kind” after racist symbols and graffiti were found on campus.

Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, Ontario, issued a statement after swastika graffiti and “heinous” “messages of violence“ were found “at various locations on campus” and reported through social media.

In a presumed reference to comments by the rapper Ye, Mr Deane said a “platform” for “antisemitic hatred by public personalities had had “a chilling effect across the country and the world,” adding that “sadly, Queen’s has also seen the emergence of this sentiment with swastika graffiti and messages of violence” on its campus.

He said the University had “acted as swiftly as possible” to condemn these “violent and discriminatory acts,” that “these heinous messages” had done damage to our community” and that they had “a responsibility to investigate and wherever necessary take action.”

“I want to be very clear,” he declared, “that there is no place at Queen’s for antisemitism or for hate or violence of any kind against any member of our community. We will not tolerate it and we will speak against it and take action whenever and wherever we can.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Leader of Canadian far-right party jailed for hate speech

Travis Patron, the founder and former leader of the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party, has been given a one-year prison sentence on a hate speech charge.

Last year’s arrest of Mr Patron, then 29, in his home province of Saskatchewan, follows a 2019 social network video called “Beware the Parasitic Tribe.” In the video, Mr Patron claimed that Jewish people “infiltrate the media”, are “swindlers” and “snakes” and that they “infect the body politic like a parasite.”

What “we need to do,” he said, “is remove these people once-and-for-all from our country.”

In a trial in Saskatchewan earlier in October, Mr Patron was convicted of wilfully promoting hate.

Justice Neil Robertson said, when explaining his decision to sentence Mr Paton to a jail term, that the offence caused “harm to the entire Canadian community” because the “attack on one member or group” was “an attack on all Canadians.”

Mr Patron, who represented himself, was silent during the sentencing and did not respond when the judge asked if he had remorse.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Canadian Premier used website with antisemitic tropes as a source in her newsletter

It has been revealed that the Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, Danielle Smith, has on two occasions this past year included links in her online newsletter to a blog that has been accused of being a source of antisemitic tropes.

Writing in an April newsletter about the possibility of a digital currency being used by central banks, Ms Smith said that she was “not sure yet” if such a move would be good for Canada which was “why I am following this closely.”

She then linked to an article from the blog in question.

On another occasion, while discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she again linked to the site.

The website, which has been accused of featuring antisemitic posts, has posted content such as: “I define Rothschild Zionism in its present incarnation as the amalgamation of Wall Street (global Jewish banking mafia families) and the Israel Lobby, along with their affiliated organisations, agencies, think-tanks, spy networks, corporations, and agents.”

An unnamed individual associated with the blog told Canadian broadcaster CBC that labelling the blog as antisemitic was an attempt to shut down an “open discussion.”

Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, said the blog was a known provider of antisemitic tropes and “wild conspiracy theories.”

Mr Mostyn added that Ms Smith may not have been aware of all of the contents, but “anybody would say” this was something that she should be distanced from.

“This is not content that should have been shared, certainly by anybody who was also seeking higher office,” he said. “But now that she is premier, I think she owes it to Albertans to distance herself from this blog.”

A spokesperson from the Premier’s office has since said that Premier Smith condemned all expressions of antisemitism, adding that “this hatred has no place in society.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Alberta adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

Alberta has become the fourth Canadian province to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The adoption last Friday was effected through an order in council

Premier Jason Kenney said: “Remembering the Holocaust is a moral obligation – and antisemitism, like all forms of racism and prejudice, has no place in Alberta. In endorsing this internationally recognized definition, Alberta is doing its part to make sure we continue to learn from this painful history and promise never to repeat it.

Justice Minister Tyler Shandro said: “Alberta’s Government is endorsing this definition of antisemitism to let the Jewish community know we stand with them against discrimination and will not tolerate hate in our communities. I invite all Albertans to speak out against this hatred and help foster a more accepting province.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision, which demonstrates Alberta’s solidarity with the Jewish community at a time of growing antisemitism in Canada.

Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

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Canadian anti-racist organisation loses federal funds after researcher’s “Jewish White Supremacists” tweets surface

The Canadian Minister for Housing and Diversity, Ahmed Hussen, has said that no more federal funds will be allocated to an anti-racist organisation after one of its researchers was reported to have posted a series of antisemitic tweets.

In 2021, the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) received C$133,800 from the Department of Canadian Heritage (known as Canadian Heritage), whose stated aim is to promote and support “Canadian identity and values, cultural development, and heritage”.

However, that grant has come under scrutiny after the twitter activity of one senior consultant to CMAC, Laith Marouf, has come to light.

Mr Marouf is alleged to have written: “You know all those loud mouthed bags of human feces, aka the Jewish White Supremacists; when we liberate Palestine and they have to go back to where they come from, they will return to being low voiced bitches of thier [sic] Christian/Secular White Supremacist Masters”.

The phrase “Jewish White Supremacists” has featured in some of Mr Marouf’s other tweets as well, such as one that read: “Life is too short for shoes with laces, or for entertaining Jewish White Supremacists with anything but a bullet to the head.” He also seems to have called Israel the “Zionist Colony of Human Feces”.

Another time, when commenting on alleged Israeli military action in Syria, Mr Marouf allegedly said, “May death visit the home of every Zionist on this earth,” and he appears to have described Israelis as “filthy Zionist scum”. 

Mr Marouf is also alleged to have said that “Nothing is more harmful to any decolonisation movements in the world, especially Palestine, than Jewish White Boys/Girls.”

In May 2022, Mr Marouf took to Twitter to say that “The little castrated b***** who are rampaging through old Jerusalem and alAqsa Mosque today, will be packing their bags & going back to where once they were treated as bitches and never dared to fight back”, apparently referring how how the Jewish diaspora in Europe was treated historically.

In March of this year, Mr Marouf apparently described the Ukrainian President, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, who has a Jewish background, as “pretend-Jewish” and claimed that there was a “Zionist-Nazi alliance” at work in Ukraine that aims to move Ukrainian Jews to Israel following the Russian invasion of the country.

It is alleged that Canadian Heritage has been paying Mr Marouf C$470 per day for his contributions to CMAC.

The group Canadian Defenders for Human Rights (CD4HR), whose Director was found to have posted a virulently antisemitic meme and antisemitic text on Facebook and Twitter, defended Mr Marouf on Twitter, writing: “#zionists in #OccupiedPalestine kill the opposition with gun fire or missiles & in #Canada they kill the opposition by defamation or making them lose contracts/funding. These are ugly & evil sophisticated methods to bully & assassinate all opposition. #LaithMarouf is a victim.”

Mr Marouf’s lawyer, Stephen Ellis, wrote an e-mail saying that his client’s tweets should be quoted “verbatim” and made a distinction between what he called Mr Marouf’s “clear reference to ‘Jewish white supremacists’” and Jewish people in general. Mr Ellis also said that Mr Marouf does not have “any animus toward the Jewish faith as a collective group.”

In a statement, Mr Hussen said: “We condemn this unacceptable behaviour by an individual working in an organisation dedicated to fighting racism and discrimination. Our position is clear – antisemitism and any form of hate have no place in Canada.”

The former Justice Minister, Irwin Cotler, who was also appointed as Canada’s Special Envoy on Antisemitism, said that Mr Marouf’s tweets were “beyond the pale”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

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Toronto rabbi allegedly kept on hold for hours by police when trying to report multiple attempted break-ins at Jewish community centre

A rabbi has alleged that he was kept on hold for hours by Toronto Police when he was trying to report multiple attempted break-ins at a Jewish community centre.

Rabbi Shmuel Neft, the Director of the Jewish Russian Community Centre (JRCC) in North Toronto, has claimed that on several recent occasions, video surveillance showed that an individual attempted to break into the centre. The suspect apparently managed to damage the building but was not successful in accessing it.

On a recent radio show, Rabbi Neft explained the series of events:

“So when we finally got a hold of the security footage that showed the incident, which was, by the way, the third of a series of incidents. Second break-in, but a third incident was involved with the same individual…So I found the footage. I was ready to hand it over to the police, and I called as soon as we were able to download it, I called 32 Division to the non-emergency hotline.

“And yes, like you said, I stayed on hold for just about two hours. I managed to pray in the afternoon services and evening services, as well as go out to dinner with a community member, all while on hold with the Toronto Police Service.”

He added: “The truth is that I never really reached them in a direct way… I pretty much gave up on the phone call and drove to 32 Division, which is not so far away, on Yonge Street, thinking that I would be able to get their attention in person. And I was basically told that the system that they have is that non-emergency reports go exclusively through the phone line, the hotline.

“I said, ‘you know, I was on hold for two hours.’

“‘Yeah, we know, you might be on hold for two hours, three hours, four hours.’

“‘So why is that?’ They said, ‘Well frankly we’re understaffed right now’ — which is mind blowing.”

“And so basically, yeah, 10:30 at night he said, ‘Get back on the phone, wait until they answer, and then you’ll be able to report the crime.’ And, that’s when I decided I’m going to take other measures in trying to get the attention of the police department.”

Rabbi Neft then observed: “By the way, I have to make mention that after all the noise we made, 32 Division was on the job, on ball. The detectives calling me almost daily updating me. I called, I have the lead detective’s personal cell phone number. We were in touch about things throughout the week… so they’ve been on the ball ever since we made a lot of noise.

“But like you said…we don’t take these things lightly… this is not just a community centre, it happens to be a synagogue. This is this is the heart of the local Jewish community.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, where a recent audit shows that antisemitic incidents have drastically increased.

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Rapper apologises for wearing anti-fascist t-shirt with confusingly prominent swastika at music festival

A British rapper has apologised after he was filmed wearing a t-shirt featuring the word “destroy” over a very prominent swastika.

Tyron Kaymone Frampton, known as Slowthai, justified his choice of the anti-fascist t-shirt, but also said that he is aware that it caused some fans confusion when he performed in it at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal.

One Twitter user expressed their dismay, writing that “Today at the Osheaga music fest, Slowthai performs wearing a swastika t-shirt. At what point does his manager, festival organisers, or stage managers step in and say this symbol of hate has no place at the festival, in Quebec, or in Canada?”

The rapper tweeted an apology, saying that “I’m sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist/anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents. I want you to know I stand firmly against antisemitism and fascism of any kind, something the t-shirt was meant to illustrate wth the word “destroy” above the symbol.”

The Osheaga Festival tweeted a statement which said that: “A performer appeared on stage Saturday wearing a controversial t-shirt displaying a swastika that caused confusion. The t-shirt denounces the regime. We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have misinterpreted this message and felt hurt.”

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Judge in trial of Daily Stormer contributor chastises prosecution for failing to prove connection between Nazism and Holocaust

A judge in Quebec has claimed that the prosecution during a trial of a man charged with stoking antisemitic hatred failed to establish a link between Nazi ideology and the murder of Jews in the Holocaust.

Gabriel Sohier Chaput, 35, was charged with one count of wilfully promoting hatred in connection with an article from 2017 on the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer that he admits to having written. The post referred to Jews as “our enemies”, included the claim that 2017 would be the year of “non-stop Nazism, everywhere”, as well as antisemitic images and slurs, and displayed photos of Adolf Hitler and other images associated with Nazism. 

Mr Sohier Chaput’s defence included the claim that The Daily Stormer was just a parody site and that the derogatory terms for Jews used throughout the article were added by an editor. Prosecutor Patrick Lafrenière contested this, saying that the site is by all accounts a serious one, and that the antisemitic slurs were entirely Mr Sohier Chaput’s own work.

Mr Sohier Chaput is a contributor to the far-right Daily Stormer.

Mr Lafrenière said that it was well-known that the publication is a far-right site and Nazism directly led to the murder of six million Jews, but Judge Manlio Del Negro accused Mr Lafrenière of failing to provide an expert witness to confirm this.

Sohier Chaput’s defence lawyer, Helene Poussard, claimed that he was trying to amuse his readers, telling the judge that “today, Nazism is used to describe everything. We mix the Holocaust with Nazism. It’s not because Jews were exterminated that it was part of the ideology.” Ms Poussard also claimed that Jews were slaughtered “to save money”.

Though the judge reprimanded Ms Poussard, he also blamed Mr Lafrenière for failing to complete the easy task of proving that The Daily Stormer was a far-right site and provide a historian to prove that Nazism was responsible for the murder of Jews.

Both parties agreed to return to court on 29th August to debate whether or not it is commonly known that The Daily Stormer is a far-right website and the Nazism led directly to the Holocaust.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, where a recent audit shows that antisemitic incidents have drastically increased.

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Man arrested after graffiti found near York University 

A man has been arrested in connection with antisemitic graffiti that was found last month near York University in Toronto.  

The suspect, Trevor York, has been charged with hate-motivated break and enter, and multiple counts of property damage. 

The graffiti, which was discovered at a garage near the University, was reported to depict a Jew with peyot (sidelocks) next to a Star of David, accompanied by the text, “shoot a Jew in the head”. 

Last month in Toronto, it was reported that an Uber Driver was accused of cycling through the Yeshiva Gedolah school and telling students that he would “kill 30 Jews today.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

Image credit: Google

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Protestors chant “From the river to the sea” at Thornhill, Ontario kosher store owners

A group of protestors have been filmed gathering outside a series of kosher establishments in Thornhill, Ontario chanting “From the river to the sea” while waving Palestinian Authority flags.

The chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a State of Palestine — and is thus an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which is a breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

In another video, a protestor shouts, “Shabbat Shalom b****es” while waving her middle finger at store owners.

The MP for Thornhill, Melissa Lantsman, took to Twitter to decry the protestors.

Ms Lantsman wrote that “This is NOT anti-Zionism – it’s a blatant act of #antisemitic hate which must be condemned by everyone.” She further tweeted: “You don’t come to a Jewish neighbourhood and yell antisemitic tropes if it isn’t about hating Jews.”

A video recorded by the co-Director of the group Canadian Defenders for Human Rights (CD4HR), Aliya Hasan, presenting events from the protestors’ perspective, showed the group confronting the Israeli store owner, only for one of the protestors to be overheard demanding of the store owner if he thinks that he is “One of G-d’s chosen people”.

Ms Hasan has often been criticised for her online posts relating to the alleged influence of Jews and “Zionists” on politics. This includes one notable post featuring an octopus with a Star of David symbol and a letter “Z” (for Zionist) on its head and its tentacles wrapped around the Capitol building. Each tentacle bore the initials of a Jewish organisation. The caption read: “Dear Americans, Sorry to break it to you, but America is under occupation and Biden and the Democrats won’t change that. Sincerely, The rest of the sane world.”

Ms Hasan has also shared a well-known piece by the inflammatory cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, which appears to compare Israel’s policies to those of the Nazis. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

A recent audit shows that antisemitic incidents in Canada have drastically increased. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout Canada.

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Dozens of gravestones vandalised in Winnipeg

Dozens of gravestones were discovered to have been vandalised at a Jewish cemetery in Winnipeg this week.

Around 70 gravestones were found tipped over at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Winnipeg.

Ran Ukasha, Executive Director of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, said: “I think there’s a strong emotional toll, much more than the physical toll. You can always stand up the headstones, repair things. That can be done. But it’s the ultimate slap in the face.”

The incident has been reported to the police.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout Canada, which have dramatically increased according to a recent audit.

Image credit: Google

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Outcry in Canadian Jewish community after hate preacher calls for Allah to “bring annihilation upon the plundering Jews”

Members of the Jewish community in Victoria, British Columbia have expressed their concerns after a Muslim preacher has been found delivering inflammatory sermons.

The leader of the Muslim Youth of Victoria, Younus Kathrada, was found to have called upon Allah to “bring annihilation upon the plundering Jews” and for victory over “those criminal, plundering Jews”.

This is not the first time that Mr Kathrada has been criticised for making such statements, which date back to 2004, and the local Muslim community has been quick to denounce him.

In November 2020, Mr Kathrada called Jews “brothers of monkeys and khanzeer [pigs]” and called on Allah to “tear them apart”.

In August 2021, Mr Kathrada described Jews as “enemies” who were attempting to “spend mountains of gold to drive [Muslims] away from Islam”.

The Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn, said that “It is important that this extremist hatemonger is being vigorously investigated after this latest hate incident, It’s appalling that such noxious hate speech against Jews is allowed to continue in Canada, and we hope Kathrada will now face criminal charges.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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British Columbia adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

The Canadian province of British Columbia has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

British Columbia’s Premier, John Horgan, announced the decision in a letter to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Vancouver.

There has been a Jewish community in British Columbia, mostly located in Vancouver, since the mid-19th century. The most recent data shows that there were over 30,000 Jews living in British Columbia. 

In his letter, Mr Horgan wrote: “To effectively combat one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred, we must first clearly identify it. In this light, we see the IHRA [International] Definition as an important non-legally binding educational tool to help us determine what is and what is not antisemitic, which allows us to work toward a society that is better for all British Columbians.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has consistently backed efforts by the Government to encourage widespread adoption of the Definition by local authorities, universities, public bodies and other institutions. The UK was the first country in the world to adopt the Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism, Lord Pickles and others worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street.

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Homes of suspected members of neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division raided near Quebec City

Police in Canada have raided the homes of individuals suspected of being members of the paramilitary neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division.

It was reported that more than 60 officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police took part in the operation on rural homes south-west of Quebec City.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Corporal Charles Poirier said that “It’s a far-right affiliated group, which could be described as having neo-Nazi allegiance.”

RCMP also tweeted: “Searches underway in St-Ferdinand and Plessisville. Investigation targeting individuals with suspected ties to the Atomwaffen Division terrorist group. All measures are in place to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers.”

The Canadian Public Safety Department listed the organisation as a terrorist group last year.

Atomwaffen Division is a paramilitary neo-Nazi group that trains its members in the use of firearms and reportedly seeks to ignite a race war in the United States.

In January 2022, Atomwaffen Division leader, Kaleb Cole, was sentenced to seven years in prison in connection with a plot to target journalists and activists.

Last year, the UK proscribed Atomwaffen Division as a terrorist organisation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout Canada which have drastically increased.

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Group shouts “stop killing Palestinians” at visibly Jewish parents during high school graduation ceremony

A Member of Parliament in Canada has expressed her concern after groups of people shouted “stop killing Palestinians” at visibly Jewish parents during her daughter’s high school graduation ceremony at Canada’s Wonderland, an amusement park in Toronto.

Ya’ara Saks, MP for York Centre in Toronto, took to Twitter to write that “This is so wrong. It’s collectively blaming Jess for a foreign conflict. It’s hate, it’s antisemitism, it’s dangerous, and it needs to stop.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel” is an example of antisemitism.

A recent audit shows that antisemitic incidents in Canada have drastically increased. Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on antisemitic incidents throughout Canada.

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Toronto police investigate “Shoot a Jew in the head” graffiti

An image showing an antisemitic caricature of a Jew beside the words “Shoot a Jew in the head” is being investigated by the Hate Crimes Division of Toronto Police.

The antisemitic graffiti depicting a figure with sidelocks and a Star of David inside a gun’s crosshairs was found near Toronto’s York University.

In a statement, the University condemned the image and said it was “working closely with law enforcement” to find the perpetrators of this “hateful antisemitic act.”

It also said support was available to students and that “direct outreach” was being offered to Jewish student groups.

A York University graduate student, Garrett Ryan, told a local news outlet that antisemitic graffiti was “not a surprising thing” in the area but it was “frightening” that people were inciting “violence.”

According to data compiled by B’nai B’rith Canada, antisemitic hate crimes in the country have reached record levels for six consecutive years.

A recent audit by the group found that there were 2,799 antisemitic hate crimes that year, including assaults, synagogue vandalism, and swastika graffiti in schools. 

In May, B’nai B’rith Canada urged the Canadian government to report on its progress in fulfilling its promise – made last year at the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism – to fight antisemitism throughout Canada.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

Image credit: Twitter via The Algemeiner

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Ontario schools asked to axe Agatha Christie book from syllabus over alleged antisemitic references

A leading Ontario school board has asked teachers to remove one of Agatha Christie’s best-known books from its syllabus because of alleged antisemitic references.

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) has asked teachers to stop requiring pupils to read Christie’s And Then There Were None. 

In a press statement, a UCDSB spokesperson pointed out that the best-selling crime novel was no longer “relevant or engaging.”

The spokesperson added that the book was removed from a summer-school course last July after offensive content was pointed out. This includes a reference to a character named “Mr. Morris” who is referred to in the book as “little Jew” and “Jew-boy” and as having “thick, Semitic lips.” 

Its removal from curricula was to ensure that texts used in schools were not discriminatory, the spokesperson noted. 

The book’s original British title featured an anti-black slur using the N-word. It was first published under that title in 1939. In North America it was published in 1940 under the title And Then There Were None. At different times, it has been titled Ten Little Indians, as well as being sold in the UK with its racially offensive title until 1985, when it was universally retitled as And Then There Were None.

It is the highest-selling crime novel in histor,y having sold more than 100 million copies, and Christie is one of the best-selling writers of all time. However, she has been criticised for xenophobia and anti-Jewish racism that includes her use of antisemitic tropes in several of her books.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Outcry after populist Ontario Party selects candidate who allegedly promoted Holocaust denial material online

Jewish groups in Canada have called on the Ontario Party to drop a candidate who has allegedly made numerous inflammatory statements.

Nikolaos Balaskas allegedly claimed that Jews control the media, presented the Holocaust as a justified response to “Zionist partisans/resistance fighters” and described Zionists as “haters of G-d and his children”, according to B’nai B’rith Canada.

He has also been accused of sharing memes and posts that accuse “Jewish-Bolsheviks” of murdering millions and sharing content from a website containing Holocaust denial content.

Mr Balaskas reportedly made these comments while he was employed by York University in Toronto in 2016. After B’nai B’rith Canada filed a complaint, Mr Balaskas was removed from his position.

Mr Balaskas is running as a candidate for the Ontario Party, which has been described as a “right-wing populist party” and even as “far-right”, in York Centre, a riding with the second biggest Jewish population in Ontario.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Man armed with knife arrested after making threats at Jewish school in Toronto

An Uber Eats delivery driver may be facing hate crimes charges after he allegedly threatened Jewish students at a Toronto-based school.

Kyle McLeod, 21, is accused of cycling through Yeshiva Gedolah and confronting students with the claim that he would “kill 30 Jews today”. When the yeshiva’s cook asked Mr McLeod to leave, Mr McLeod is alleged to have assaulted him.

The cook then detained Mr McLeod and waited for the police to arrive, when it was apparently discovered that Mr McLeod was armed with a knife.

Director of Policy at the Toronto-based Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, said: “It is extremely troubling that a man with a weapon violently threatened people at a yeshiva and, even more disturbingly, yelled that he wanted to kill Jews. Such an attack comes on the heels of the Toronto Police Service’s most recent annual hate crime report that once again showed the city’s Jewish community as the most targeted group.”

“Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our city,” tweeted Toronto Mayor John Tory.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Audit finds dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents in Canada

Canada has seen record levels of antisemitic incidents in 2021 according to an audit by Jewish advocacy group B’Nai Brith.

The analysis found that there were 2,799 antisemitic hate crimes that year, including assaults, synagogue vandalism, and swastika graffiti in schools. 

This marks a seven percent increase from 2020, though incidents involving violence saw a 700 percent increase, up from nine in 2020 to 75 in 2021. 

The report found this was consistent with the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the genocidal antisemitic terror group Hamas in May last year.

There has been a Jewish presence in Canada that dates back to the establishment of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749. According to data collected by Statistics Canada and the United Jewish Federations of Canada in 2011, the country had 391,665 Jews, making up 1.2 percent of the total population.

The audit also noted that there has been a “surge” in such incidents taking place on university campuses, which have become “significant breeding grounds for antisemitism.”

B’nai Brith’s Senior Legal Counsel, David Martas, said that “If you are Jewish, you are more likely to be a victim of a hate crime by far than if you are a member of another minority.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Jewish man finds antisemitic graffiti sprayed onto felled tree

A Jewish resident of Thornhill, Ontario, has expressed his dismay after finding antisemitic graffiti while out for a walk.

On 11th April, Dennis Kalish was on one of his favourite walks around “picturesque” Bond Lake in the Richmond Hill area, around twelve miles north of the centre of Toronto, when he found antisemitic symbols daubed in blue and black spray paint on a downed tree.

Mr Kalish said this is not the first time that he has seen such graffiti in his local area. He said that not only that he has seen his synagogue defaced and heard antisemitic slurs yelled at visibly Jewish people, but that he thinks antisemitism is becoming more common in Canada.

Mr Kalish said: “There’s no shame, no accountability. This is what’s happening over here; it’s becoming so prevalent.”

Mr Kalish has reported the incident to York Regional Police, who released a statement saying they are looking into the incident.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Complaints raised after Canadian hockey fans reportedly shout antisemitic slurs at child players

A minor level ice hockey organisation in Canada is facing complaints after it was reported that some fans who were attending games had targeted young Jewish players with antisemitic slurs.

The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) has reportedly hired a private investigator to deal with three sets of allegations from 31st October 2021, 11th November 2021, and 6th March 2022.

Each incident took place before or during an under-thirteens game between the Avenue Road Ducks and the Don Mills Mustangs, with the slurs apparently being made by parents of the Mustangs’ teenage players.

Vice President of Toronto’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Noah Shack, said: “No one should be subjected to hate when they are going to a rink to play hockey.”

With 2,800 and around 40,000 players, the Greater Toronto Hockey League is the largest youth ice hockey organisation in the world. In March 2022, the League published the findings of an independent committee which stated that racism and discrimination were endemic in the GTHL, though the report said nothing specific about antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canada set to ban Holocaust denial

It has been reported that Canada plans to criminalise Holocaust denial in a bid to deal with increasing antisemitism.

The Canadian government is said to be debating a law that would make it illegal to either publicly deny that the Holocaust took place at all or to justify it or trivialise details about it, including the number of Jews killed. The law will not, however, apply to what people say in private conversations.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)” is an example of antisemitism.

Canada now follows a number of mainly European countries that have passed laws banning Holocaust denial including Austria in 1947 (amended 1992), Belgium in 1995, the Czech Republic in 2001, France in 1990, Germany in 1985, and Greece in 2014. 

There is, however, no mention of the penalties to be faced by perpetrators of Holocaust denial, though one version of the bill proposes a two-year jail sentence.

Other countries have imposed harsh penalties on those who violated these laws, including well-known Holocaust deniers and revisionists like French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen (fined three times between 1987 – 2016), French Holocaust revisionist Robert Faurisson (fined €7,500 and given three months’ probation), and Ernst Zündel, Horst Mahler, and David Irving, who were all handed lengthy jail terms by German courts.

The bill is justified as Canadian MPs and anti-hate groups have expressed their concerns about rising antisemitism in the country.

Vice-President of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Richard Marceau said: “Jewish Canadians comprise one per cent of the Canadian population yet are the target of 62 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes. We live in a time of rising antisemitism.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police investigating after another Toronto high school reports antisemitic vandalism

It has been reported that antisemitic vandalism was discovered outside of a Toronto high school.

Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird said that the reported antisemitic graffiti that was found outside of Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute was a “hateful act of vandalism” that was “very similar to recent incidents”, adding that police are investigating.

The vandalism appears to be a part of a wave of antisemitic incidents sweeping across Toronto and Greater Toronto schools.

Last week, we reported that a church in downtown Toronto and a school in the Greater Toronto area were also targets of antisemitic vandalism. Days prior, antisemitic graffiti had been found on a building in Markham, Greater Toronto that is currently being used as a private school but formerly served as a synagogue.

Other recent reports include the news that antisemitic graffiti was reportedly found in four Toronto schools in a short span of time.

Additionally, on 1st February, two students at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School reportedly displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates in an incident that Principal Elever Baker described as “upsetting and unacceptable.” On 17th February, two students at Valley Park Middle School reportedly performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. On 24th February, two twelve-year-old students at Pleasant Public School in the North York area of Toronto reportedly performed the Nazi salute when students were asked to raise their hands for a question.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Church and school become latest targets of antisemitic vandalism in Toronto, Canada 

A church in downtown Toronto and a school in the Greater Toronto area are the latest targets of antisemitic vandalism in what appears to be a wave of incidents in the Toronto area. 

Two schools in the town of Newmarket were reportedly defaced with antisemitic, anti-Black and LGBTQ-phobic graffiti. Police stated that they had been called in to Newmarket High School after anti-Black graffiti was found in a boy’s bathroom stall and were called back in two days later regarding carvings found in the school that were deemed antisemitic and LGBTQ-phobic. 

The following day, police were called in to Huron Heights Secondary School regarding graffiti in the boy’s bathroom that “included a number of drawings, profanities and male genitalia as well as some possibly anti-Black and antisemitic graffiti that has been partially scribbled over.” 

Police said that in all instances, the graffiti was quickly removed.

It was also reported that police are investigating after the Metropolitan United Church in downtown Toronto was vandalised with antisemitic and homophobic graffiti.

The Church released a statement in response to the incident in which it said: “Sadly, these acts have grown in frequency over the past years, with our building a regular target. Metropolitan takes action to quickly remove all graffiti, at considerable expense to the church.

“Above all, Metropolitan stands as an affirming church in downtown Toronto with a long history of support for the LGBTQ community. Likewise, Jesus’ teaching to ‘love your neighbour’ is our driving mission and we are therefore dedicated to standing up to antisemitism and all forms of hate.”

These reports follow last week’s in which antisemitic graffiti had been found on a building in Markham, Greater Toronto that is currently being used as a private school but formerly served as a synagogue.

Other recent reports include the news that antisemitic graffiti was reportedly found in four Toronto schools amid what appears to be a spate of antisemitic incidents being carried out among Toronto schools.

On 1st February, two students at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School reportedly displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates in an incident that Principal Elever Baker described as “upsetting and unacceptable.” On 17th February, two students at Valley Park Middle School reportedly performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. On 24th February, two twelve-year-old students at Pleasant Public School in the North York area of Toronto reportedly performed the Nazi salute when students were asked to raise their hands for a question.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police investigating antisemitic graffiti found on Greater Toronto school that used to serve as synagogue

Antisemitic graffiti has been found on a building in Markham, Greater Toronto that is currently being used as a private school but formerly served as a synagogue.

Police are investigating the acts of vandalism which they believe were carried out on separate dates spanning the last two months. 

Reports say that on 9th January, black spray paint was found on signs at Simonston Park, on 12th January, blue spray paint was found on a private school that is understood to be Metro International Secondary Academy, a building that formerly served a synagogue, located across the street on Simonston Boulevard, and on 19th February, blue spray paint was found, again, on the same school building.

York Regional Police said: “Investigators believe that these incidents are hate motivated and are asking any witnesses, anyone with information or video surveillance footage in that area, to please come forward.” 

This latest report comes days after the news that antisemitic graffiti was reportedly found in four Toronto schools amid reports of students in the area performing Nazi salutes.

Constable Alex Li of the Toronto Police Service said: “These are being treated as hate-motivated and our Hate Crime Unit is fully engaged…Due to the similarities in each incident, investigators are exploring whether they are linked.”

The schools involved were Central Technical High School, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts and Malvern Collegiate Institute. Antisemitic graffiti was also reportedly found on the playground of Regal Road Junior Public School.

The reports of graffiti are the latest in what appears to be a spate of antisemitic incidents being carried out among Toronto schools.

On 1st February, two students at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School reportedly displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates in an incident that Principal Elever Baker described as “upsetting and unacceptable.”

On 17th February, two students at Valley Park Middle School reportedly performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. 

On 24th February, two twelve-year-old students at Pleasant Public School in the North York area of Toronto reportedly performed the Nazi salute when students were asked to raise their hands for a question.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Antisemitic graffiti reportedly found in four Toronto schools amid reports of students performing Nazi salutes

Antisemitic graffiti has reportedly been found in four Toronto schools amid reports of students in the area performing Nazi salutes.

Constable Alex Li of the Toronto Police Service said: “These are being treated as hate-motivated and our Hate Crime Unit is fully engaged…Due to the similarities in each incident, investigators are exploring whether they are linked.”

The schools involved were Central Technical High School, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts and Malvern Collegiate Institute. Antisemitic graffiti was also reportedly found on the playground of Regal Road Junior Public School.

The reports of graffiti are the latest in what appears to be a spate of antisemitic incidents being carried out among Toronto schools.

On 1st February, two students at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School reportedly displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates in an incident that Principal Elever Baker described as “upsetting and unacceptable.”

On 17th February, two students at Valley Park Middle School reportedly performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. 

On 24th February, two twelve-year-old students at Pleasant Public School in the North York area of Toronto reportedly performed the Nazi salute when students were asked to raise their hands for a question.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Third incident of students performing Nazi salutes in Toronto school reported this month

A third incident of students performing a Nazi salute in a Toronto school this month has been reported.

On Thursday, two twelve-year-old students at Pleasant Public School in the North York area of Toronto reportedly performed the Nazi salute when students were asked to raise their hands for a question.

In a letter sent to parents on Friday, Principal Brian Fong said: “Yesterday, during a class discussion, students were asked to raise their hands in response to a question. Two students kept their hands up for a longer period of time, which was seen by the teacher as a ‘Nazi salute’.”

Principal Fong added that a session on Holocaust education for the Grade 6 class is being prepared. “As a result of what has occurred, we believe it’s important for students to be able to understand the impact of hate symbols and will be working to incorporate this as a learning opportunity to underscore our commitment to create a safe and respectful environment at our school.”

The educator in the classroom at the time said that the students “knew exactly what they were doing,” adding: “I felt attacked. They kept their hands up for a long time. It was blatant and so obvious.”

Last week, we reported that the Toronto District School Board had been urged to address a “wave of antisemitism” after Valley Park Middle School, also in North York, sent a letter to parents informing them that antisemitic graffiti had been discovered and that students had performed the Nazi salute in class.

Reportedly, two students had performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. 

A few weeks prior, two students at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates in an incident that Principal Elever Baker described as “upsetting and unacceptable.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Google

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Toronto District School Board urged to address “wave of antisemitism” after students perform Nazi salute in front of Jewish teacher

After another report of students performing Nazi salutes in a Toronto school within weeks of a similar incident, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has been urged to address a “wave of antisemitism”.

On Thursday, Valley Park Middle School in North York sent a letter to parents informing them that antisemitic graffiti had been discovered and that students had performed the Nazi salute in class.

Reportedly, two students had performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. 

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center spoke to the teacher of the Grade 8 class, a Jewish woman and daughter of Holocaust survivors who was said to be “very hurt, very upset, very traumatised” by the event.

Valley Park Middle School Principal George Bartzis said that the incident was “upsetting and unacceptable,” adding: “We take great pride in our school as a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place and this has always been our message to students. It is also not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and as a community.”

The incident was also condemned by the Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, who said that it was “as sad as it is hurtful and obviously unacceptable. It is extremely troubling to see antisemitic acts, especially among young people, happening in our community.”

This latest incident comes only weeks after the news that two students at Charles H. Best Middle School, also located in the North York area, displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates.

Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a spokesperson for the TDSB and Chair of the School Board’s Jewish Heritage Committee, said that the students responsible would ​​​​ face “consequences” and that the Board would be taking on a more proactive approach in tackling antisemitism. 

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said that the school board was witnessing a “wave of antisemitism” that was “unprecedented in terms of both number of incidents and their escalating gravity.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian Mayor apologises for referring to rally that featured swastikas as “peaceful”

A Canadian Mayor has apologised after she referred to an anti-vaccination rally where swastikas were present as “peaceful”.

The rally was organised in opposition to mandates concerning the vaccination status of truckers returning to the United States from Canada. However, among other signs and flags at the rally, the Nazi symbol was also on display throughout. 

At one point during the demonstration, Conservative MP Michael Cooper delivered a televised interview whilst a flag bearing a swastika was visible in the background.

The Mayor of Fredericton, Kate Rogers, apologised for her remarks after Dr Manju Varma, the Commissioner on Systemic Racism for New Brunswick, said that it was wrong to call the rally peaceful, stating: “I can count racist symbolism and imagery directly tied to or explicitly referencing white ethnonationalism, white supremacy, antisemitism, anti-refugee hate, and far-right extremism…Let me be absolutely and unequivocally clear: these are acts of violence.”

Mayor Rogers apologised on Twitter, writing: “When I referred to the protest this past weekend as peaceful, I meant that it was contained and managed without use of force.

“I understand that my characterisation of the protest minimised the impact felt by members of our community and I am sorry.”

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Toronto schools regret incidents involving swastika and Holocaust trivialisation

A school in the Toronto area is investigating an incident in which two students displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates.

In a letter to parents of pupils at Charles H. Best Middle School in North York, principal Elever Baker described the incident as “upsetting and unacceptable.”

He said that the school “acknowledges and regrets” the “harm this incident caused to members of our school community and to our shared school climate.”

Mr Baker said that the school took “great pride” in being “a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place,” adding that it was “not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and as a community.”

The school was taking “immediate steps to address the issue,” and an investigation “remains ongoing” Mr Baker said. “We are committed to the work of intentionally identifying, interrupting, and addressing racism and discrimination…with a focus on antisemitism,” his letter stated.

Staff members were consulting with Toronto District School Board (TDSB) equity advisers to establish new strategies and tools for addressing antisemitism, he said.

Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a spokesperson for the TDSB and Chair of the School Board’s Jewish Heritage Committee, said that the students who displayed the swastika probably did not understand what it meant. It was “a symbol they see on TV, they’ve seen unfurled on flags at demonstrations” and which they see online. “It becomes normalised and they don’t know what it really means. What it means is a symbol of hate,” she said. 

In a statement on Twitter, Mayor John Tory said that he was “very saddened” to hear of the incident, adding that it “demonstrates how much work we still have in front of us to inform and educate as part of our effort to eradicate antisemitism in all of its forms.”

In a separate incident, a teacher at another school in North York has been removed from the classroom after likening COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the yellow Star of David that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

The Acting Principal of Ledbury Park Elementary and Middle School wrote to parents to inform them about an “antisemitic incident”. Serge Parravano wrote that the teacher – who had likened the current COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the forced wearing of the yellow star by Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe – had been “removed from the classroom” and was “on home assignment pending an investigation.”

Mr Parravano said in his letter that the teacher’s comments were “upsetting and unacceptable” and was “not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and a community.”

As part of its response, the school has arranged for Michelle Glied-Goldstein to speak to students. Ms Glied-Goldstein is an educator with the Holocaust education organisation, Carrying Holocaust Testimony from Generation to Generation.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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GoFundMe called to Canadian parliament after accusations that cash was used to fund antisemitism seen at Ottawa protests

A Canadian parliamentary committee is asking representatives of the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to testify about how the company ensures that money raised is not used to promote antisemitism, white supremacy and other forms of hate. The demand was issued after it emerged that GoFundMe was used to raise more than C$10 million to support anti-vaccination protests that featured antisemitic tropes and white supremacy and which brought the Canadian capital, Ottawa, to a standstill.

Urged by British Columbia New Democrat MP Alistair MacGregor, the Public Safety Committee (PSC) is asking representatives of the crowd-funding website to answer questions about how its funds were allegedly used to promote hate. GoFundMe announced that it was “reviewing” the anti-vaccination fundraising campaign to ensure that it complied with its terms of service and is understood to have frozen funds to protestors in the meantime.

Mr MacGregor said that he was concerned about “the anonymity of some donors” and what controls GoFundMe had to ensure that the money was not funding “extremist views like antisemitism, white supremacy and other forms of hate” that were “prominently” seen in the Ottawa protests.

The MP said that Canada must subject GoFundMe to “a closer examination,” as the “prime motivation” and “endgame” of its “anonymous donors” were not known. Their aims were unknown “and that’s a very real, big problem,” said Mr MacGregor.

In its statement, GoFundMe said that it had requested more information from the organiser regarding the use of funds. Tamara Lich, one of the protest organisers, said that the crowd-funding company had been given all the information that it sought and was confident that the suspension would be lifted. In the meantime, the controversial social media platform Gab, which is popular with the far-right, has provided links to cryptocurrency websites as a way to keep donations flowing during GoFundMe’s suspension of fundraising.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Swastikas displayed at anti-vaccination rally in Canada

Swastikas were seen on display at an anti-vaccination rally, dubbed the “Freedom Convoy”, over the weekend in Canada.

The rally was organised in opposition to mandates concerning the vaccination status of truckers returning to the United States from Canada.

However, among other signs and flags at the rally, the Nazi symbol was also on display throughout. 

At one point during the demonstration, Conservative MP Michael Cooper delivered a televised interview whilst a flag bearing a swastika was visible in the background.

Mr Cooper later tweeted a statement condemning the symbol, writing: “Naziism [sic] is the purest form of evil and I have always condemned it completely.”

The inflammatory and misleading comparison has been used among other international anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown circles.

Earlier this year, Joseph Szwarc, a Holocaust survivor, spoke out against wearing the yellow star in protests, saying: “You can’t imagine how much that upset me. This comparison is hateful. We must all rise up against this ignominy.” With tears in his eyes, Mr Szwarc added: “I wore the star, I know what that is, I still have it in my flesh. It is everyone’s duty to not allow this outrageous, antisemitic, racist wave to pass over us.”

The comparison has been made across the world, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine and elsewhere.

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Ryerson University apologises for appearing to omit Jews and antisemitism, alone among minorities and forms of discrimination, from a programme about inclusion

Ryerson University has apologised for appearing to omit Jews and antisemitism, alone among minorities and forms of discrimination, from a programme about the intersection of charitable giving and inclusion.

The Winter 2022 issue of Ryerson University Magazine, distributed to alumni and friends of the Canadian university, featured an advertisement for a webinar seminar programme run jointly between the University and TD Bank, called “Generous Futures: Power and Politics in Charitable Giving”.

The webinar series has featured discussions about combatting anti-Muslim hatred, anti-Asian racism and ageism, as well as panels on promoting the LGBT and black communities. The only seminar yet to take place is on advancing disability rights.

There was a conspicuous lack in the agenda, however, of any reference to antisemitism or promoting Jewish voices, despite the otherwise apparently comprehensive attempt to include minority groups. This is despite skyrocketing antisemitic incidents in Canada.

HonestReporting reports that it commended the inclusion of all of these minority groups in the series, but urged the inclusion of Jewish voices and combatting antisemitism as part of the programme.

Within hours of the HonestReporting report, the University wrote to the advocacy group, saying: “The University had planned to include antisemitism as a topic in the fall [autumn] of 2021 and had invited both moderator and panellists. Unfortunately, these plans fell through. We are currently in the process of developing an alternative opportunity to address this topic. Ryerson University recognises the importance of addressing antisemitism, particularly in the context of rising rates of antisemitic hate crimes. And we sincerely apologise for the implication of the ad, and the upset and disappointment it has caused. We remain committed to covering this important topic.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Canadian academic to stand trial in connection with 1980 terrorist bombing outside Paris synagogue

A Canadian academic accused of involvement in a terrorist bombing outside a Parisian synagogue in 1980 is to stand trial.

Hassan Diab, 67, a Lebanese-born sociologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, is to stand trial in France in 2023 over the attack on the rue Copernic synagogue in Paris that killed four people and wounded 46. The bombing took place on Friday evening on 3rd October 1980, near the beginning of Shabbat and during the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah.

The bombing was the first deadly attack against Jewish people in France since the end of WWII.

The neo-Nazi Federation of National and European Action took responsibility, but investigators concluded that Arab terrorists were in fact behind the attack, and eventually sought the extradition of Prof. Diab, which was granted in 2011. He spent over three years in prison in France while the investigation continued, only for the charges to be dismissed in 2018, with Prof. Diab able to return to Canada. Appeals courts in France reversed the dismissal, however, and the trial is now set to go ahead in April 2023.

Prof. Diab claims that he was in Lebanon at the time of the bombing, and it remains unclear whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to make out a case against him. It is believed that the prosecution is relying in part on evidence that allegedly links Prof. Diab’s handwriting to that of the suspected bomber.

The Hassan Diab Support Committee, which includes the former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, condemned the prosecution, describing it as “surreal and disgraceful”. The committee also called for changes to Canada’s extradition treaty with France to prevent Prof. Diab from being extradited again.

prof. Diab has asserted: “My life has been turned upside down because of unfounded allegations and suspicions. I am innocent of the accusations against me. I have never engaged in terrorism. I have never participated in any terrorist attacks. I am not an anti-Semite.”

For now, French authorities have not yet made an extradition request to Canada, and Prof. Diab’s lawyers have reportedly told Canadian media that he may be tried in absentia.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Justice for Hassan Diab

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Swastikas carved into Montreal skating rink 

Swastikas have been found carved into a skating rink in Montreal, Canada.

There were at least four large swastikas imprinted into the skating rink at Danyluk Park in the Town of Mount Royal.

Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, said: “It is alarming to see the skating rink, such a basic symbol of Canadian identity and winter fun which attracts children and families, being defiled by symbols of hatred. This repulsive act of antisemitism should be condemned by all, and we hope that the perpetrators are identified and held to account.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.

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Student union’s discriminatory resolution leads to fears for kosher food provision on Canadian campus

There are fears at the University of Toronto that a resolution passed by one of its student unions could be used to prevent Jewish caterers from supplying goods or services.

A motion passed by Scarborough Campus Student Union (SCSU) at the University of Toronto pledged to buy kosher food “only” from kosher caterers who “do not normalise Israeli apartheid.”

Given the central role that the Jewish state plays in contemporary Jewish identity, the notion of excluding Jewish institutions that have connections to Israel potentially means untenable restrictions on other Jewish practices, including the provision of kosher food, much of which is produced in Israel.

Consequently, the resolution has led to fears among some Jewish students and student groups that they will not be able to have a kosher diet on campus.

Scarborough campus student Gabriela Rosenblum said that “even for something as simple” as ordering jam doughnuts for Chanukah, Jewish students at SCSU would “now be forced to prove that kosher caterers do not support their Jewish homeland” which, she added, was “basically impossible.”

A spokesperson for the University’s Hillel said it was “deeply disappointed” by the union’s position and called for the union executive to “reverse this shameful resolution.”

Daniel Koren, Executive Director of Hasbara Canada, said in a statement: “Whether the SCSU likes it or not, Israel is an essential part of Jewish identity. They do not have the right to tell Jewish students how to practice Judaism on campus.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

No jail for two vandals who admitted scrawling antisemitic graffiti outside synagogue in Hamilton, Canada

Two vandals who admitted scrawling antisemitic graffiti outside a synagogue in Hamilton, Canada, have avoided jail.

Liam Greaves and Blake Trautman were both nineteen when they daubed the graffiti on Beth Jacob Synagogue in 2019. They and two friends had drunk alcohol on the night of Friday 4th October at Mr Trautman’s family home. While walking to a pool club, the group stopped in the parking lot of the synagogue on Aberdeen Avenue for about a minute and a half as Mr Greaves wrote the word “Jews” on the wall and draw a red chalk line through it. Mr Trautman drew a swastika.

On nearby Kent Street, another in the group reportedly wrote “sign heil [sic]” and Mr Greaves wrote a message attacking the black community.

The synagogue increased its security measures in the wake of the incident.

Mr Greaves and Mr Trautman turned themselves in a week after the incident and a day after one of their group identified all of those involved that night. In court, they claimed that the vandalism was a “joke” intended to shock people and entertain their friends, and expressed remorse.

They were initially set to be given house arrest, but following joint submissions by the Crown and defence counsel, it was decided that the time would be served with conditional sentences including more than 100 hours of community service with a religious organisation and assessment counselling with relation to inclusion of the Jewish and black communities.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Google

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Investigation launched after courthouse in Ottawa, Canada defaced with swastika graffiti

An investigation has been launched by Ottawa police’s hate crime unit after a courthouse has been defaced with swastika graffiti. 

The sign outside the courthouse was also defaced with the letters ‘SS’, the abbreviation of Schutzstaffel, which was the leading paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Graffiti was also reportedly found daubed on Ottawa City Hall. Police have said that they were called to the area of Laurier Avenue West and Elgin Street yesterday at around 8:20.

B’nai Brith Canada called the incident “disturbing” and called for a Holocaust Remembrance across Canada “to combat Jew-hate in educational systems.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Toronto law professor apologises for pairing Nazi quote with photo of Jewish judge on Twitter

A Toronto law professor has apologised for changing his Twitter profile photo to an image of a Jewish judge with a quote attributed to a well-known Nazi written over it. 

Professor Mohammad Fadel, who teaches Business Organisations at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, changed his Twitter profile photo last week to that of Justice David Spiro, a Jewish member of Canada’s Tax Court, with the words “The sovereign is he who decides the exceptions” written below. This is a quote from Carl Schmitt, who was an active member of the Nazi Party. Prof. Fadel also changed his Twitter name to “Schmitt lives in Toronto.”

Prof. Fadel has since released an apology in which he said that although he “never intended to compare Justice Sprio to a Nazi,” he understood in retrospect why people accused him of making the connection. He went on to say that he was “deeply sorry for the pain” that he “unintentionally caused them.” 

In August, the University of California Merced launched a formal investigation into the alleged antisemitism of Prof. Abbas Ghassemi after he reportedly tweeted that “Zionists” controlled the American economy, government policy, banking, and media.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police investigating after video emerges of schoolchildren shouting antisemitic language and performing Hitler salutes in Catholic school in Ontario

Police are reportedly investigating after a video emerged appearing to show children in a Catholic school shouting antisemitic language and performing Hitler salutes in Ontario.

North Bay police are examining the video, in which pupils at École Secondaire Catholique Algonquin appear to be marching around a field shouting antisemitic language and performing Nazi salutes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Suspect charged in connection with alleged antisemitic assault on elderly Jewish employee reportedly punched unconscious at Toronto shop

A suspect has been charged in connection with an alleged antisemitic assault on an elderly Jewish employee at a Toronto shop.

The victim was reportedly punched unconscious in the incident, which took place on 28th July at an off-licence liquor store in the Canadian city.

According to a local group, the 26-year-old suspect allegedly attempted to purchase beer but, when asked by the cashier for proof of age, became belligerent, allegedly calling the victim “a dirty f***ing Jew” and lunging at him with a wine bottle and other items before punching him in the face, knocking him briefly unconscious. He required stiches and more than a week off work as a result of the incident.

A suspect was arrested three weeks later and charged with two counts of assault and two counts of assault with a women, and three further criminal counts in what Toronto Police treated as a hate crime.Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police search for suspect behind alleged antisemitic threats and vandalism in Ontario, Canada

Police are searching for a suspect believed to be responsible for yelling antisemitic threats and committing vandalism in Ontario, Canada.

This week, police officers in the city of Vaughan responded to a call from a residence on Conley Street where they spoke with an alleged victim of an antisemitic incident. The police were told that a male, who is believed to be Russian and between the ages of 28 and 30, yelled antisemitic threats towards the alleged victim whilst cycling down the street.

The following day, the alleged victim reported antisemitic sentiments scratched into his vehicle. Police believe that the individual responsible is the same person behind the antisemitic threats.

Anyone with information can contact the York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7441 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. They can also leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Google

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Suspect arrested after allegedly performing Nazi salute before assaulting woman in Toronto subway

A man alleged to have performed a Nazi salute before assaulting a woman in a Toronto subway has been arrested.

It was reported by Toronto police in a statement that at approximately 12:30 on Saturday, a woman was sitting on a bench at Lawrence Station when a man approached her before assaulting her and fleeing the scene.

Sarah Gillis, who said that she is not Jewish, identified herself as the alleged victim and said that a man approached her while she was sitting on the platform and asked her twice: “Are you Jewish?”

Ms Gillis added: “He then did a Nazi salute and asked me if I knew what it meant. So I said to him, ‘Have a nice day.’ That’s when he said, ‘You are a Jew,’ and he came towards me.”

Ms Gillis alleges that the man then put her in a headlock before being pulled off by another man. The suspect reportedly then fled the scene by boarding a subway train.

“I wanted people to be aware that he was still out there and although he was saying hateful things towards Jewish people…it wasn’t necessarily Jewish people that he was targeting,” Ms Gillis said. She added: “It could’ve [been] anyone because personally I’m not Jewish but I still became a victim of him.”

Police released images of the suspect on Saturday and announced on Sunday that an arrest had been made. According to a police spokesperson, the suspect is the same individual who was arrested in connection with two previous antisemitism-related incidents.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Toronto Police Service

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“Jews did 9/11” and “Jews ran the slave trade” graffiti found in Toronto

Graffiti reading “Jews did 9/11” and “Jews ran the slave trade” has been discovered in Toronto.

The National Executive Director of the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation reported that his friend took a photograph of the graffiti, which also included a reference to the hate website “Goyim.tv”, at the intersection of Knox and Eastern.

“We have a major antisemitism issue in Toronto,” Mr Yablonsky wrote. “We need more than words from our elected officials, we need action. The Jewish community need to feel safe in our city.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Rafi Yablonsky

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Canadian university plans course on antisemitism taught by academic who tweeted “Zionist pig” and that Jews had “actively contributed” to “genocide”

The University of Victoria in the Canadian province of British Columbia is planning a course on antisemitism to be taught by academic Shamma Boyarin, who has allegedly posted tweets calling a former ADL President a “Zionist pig” and claiming that Jews had “actively contributed” to “ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

Mr Boyarin has taught religious studies and medieval studies at the University since 2008. The course description initially stated that “even the most fundamental aspects of antisemitism” were “controversial” and that students would “develop the ability to examine…instances of antisemitism with a critical eye.”

Following a protest by B’nai Brith Canada expressing concern that the course could become a “forum for antisemitic views” due to the academic teaching it, the course description was changed to state that students would “learn about antisemitism” through “key texts and moments,” and by exploring “the particular role” of Christianity in “developing and sustaining antisemitism in Europe.” However, the course was still being taught by Mr Boyarin.

In a Twitter post in May, Mr Boyarin allegedly called Abe Foxman, the former President of the ADL, a “Zionist pig.” In June, he allegedly tweeted that North American Jews had “actively contributed” to “ethnic cleansing and genocide” and had “raised our kids to take part in it.”

Mr Boyarin allegedly has a “protected” Twitter account under the name “Motley Jëw.” A protected account means that he can deny “follow” requests and that Tweets are only visible to his followers and cannot be retweeted.

In a letter posted on Twitter by B’nai Brith Canada (BBC) entitled “Academic Freedom Is No Excuse for Antisemitism,” BBC CEO Michael Mostyn wrote that moving the course away from modern antisemitism was “an important first step.” However, he added there was still concern “that instead of educating students on the scourge of Jew-hatred,” there was a small risk that “hostility toward Jews” would “be promoted.” He called on the university to “provide assurances to the Jewish community” that academic freedom would not be used as a “cover to falsely accuse Jews… of contributing to genocide” or “other antisemitic canards.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

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Wave of “anti-Jewish hate” in Greater Toronto Area

Swastikas have been spray-painted on Toronto’s Beth Sholom Synagogue, at a school and on a bus shelter during what was described by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre as a “wave of antisemitic vandalism” in the Greater Toronto Area.

The synagogue incident is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence, according to police who have released a surveillance-camera image of a suspect.

Beth Sholom minister, Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich, said that the antisemitic graffiti wasn’t only an attack on the Jewish community of Toronto, but on “every person who calls the city their home and every Canadian who calls this country their home.” 

In a statement, Michael Levitt, President and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, said that it was “extremely disturbing to see such anti-Jewish hate being spread across the Greater Toronto Area.”

The Ontario New Democratic Party has also condemned the vandalism stating: “There is no place for antisemitism and white supremacy in our city, our province, or our country.”

Telling the Government to “act urgently to stamp out antisemitism and white supremacy wherever they occur,” the statement added: “Meaningful action is long overdue.”

The Toronto incidents follow the daubing of swastikas on the election posters of two Jewish Liberal candidates in Montreal earlier the same week.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project. 

Image credit: StandWithUs

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “disgusted and angry” at swastika graffiti on election signs for Jewish Members of Parliament

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he is “disgusted and angry” after it was revealed that election signs belonging to two Jewish MPs had been vandalised with swastikas.

The MPs, Anthony Housefather and Rachel Bendayan, are both members of Prime Minister Trudeau’s Liberal Party of Canada.

The Canadian leader took to Twitter to voice condemnation of the graffiti, writing: “I am disgusted and I am angry that @RachelBendayan and @AHousefather had signs vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. It is completely unacceptable. I stand in solidarity with Rachel and Anthony, and the entire Jewish community, against this type of hatred.”

Both MPs, who are representing different areas of Quebec in Canada’s upcoming election, used their own Twitter accounts to address the vandalism.

Ms Bendayan, the MP for Outremont, an area that is understood to have a large Jewish population, posted images showing that at least two of her placards had been defaced with the Nazi symbol. She wrote: “Whatever your political views, spreading hateful and violent messages is not the way to go. We’ve seen the road that the politics of the far right leads us to in the US and around the world. That is not us. That is not our Canada.”

Mr Housefather, representing Mount Royal, tweeted that it was “Pretty sad to see #antisemitism hitting the campaign on Day 3.” He added: “I can assure whoever did this that no swastika is going to scare me or stop me from speaking up for Jewish Canadians.”

The graffiti was denounced on Twitter by several Canadian politicians from a variety of parties.

In May, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau offered his support to Canada’s Jews after the country saw a surge in antisemitism. 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.”

A few weeks ago, a swastika was found spray-painted onto the pavement next to a Jewish man’s car in Kelowna, Canada.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Mezuzah ripped off doorpost at University of British Columbia

A student’s mezuzah was ripped off its doorpost at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University’s student newspaper reported last week.

A mezuzah is a decorative case containing a Jewish prayer which is traditionally fixed to the doorpost of a Jewish home.

The incident was said to have occurred on 22nd July, where three individuals were believed to have ripped the mezuzah off of the doorpost and vandalised it. It has since been reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is being investigated.

An e-mail from UBC Housing to its residences said that “Antisemitic behaviours and actions such as these are absolutely reprehensible,” and also said that this incident was “the second time this has occurred.” In the e-mail, there was also a link that explained the significance of mezuzahs.

Andrew Parr, Associate Vice President of Student Housing and Community Services, said that “If those found responsible are student residents they will face significant repercussions — up to an including eviction.”

“In consultation with the resident we shared information about this occurrence with others in their residence community to both shine a light on and reaffirm how unacceptable this type of activity is in our community and encourage reporting information that may aid the police investigation,” Mr Parr added.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Swastika spray-painted beside car belonging to Jewish son of Holocaust survivors in Kelowna, Canada

A swastika was found spray-painted onto the pavement next to a Jewish man’s car in Kelowna, Canada last Wednesday.

The red swastika graffiti was discovered in the car park of the ProActive Physiotherapy clinic where Michael, the Jewish man in question, works as an osteopathic practitioner.

Upon discovery of the antisemitic vandalism, Michael said that “fear was the initial reaction.” He continued: “(It was) fear and anger, but mainly fear, because I’m a child of Holocaust survivors. I was raised with the knowledge, the education and the details of what my parents went through in the work camps and all my aunts, uncles and grandparents being transported, gassed and cremated.”

“At the clinic, besides wearing my scrubs, I openly wear my yarmulke,” Michael said. He added: “I don’t hide my Judaism or my Jewish identity, as I don’t believe I should in a free country like Canada.”

Kelowna Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are investigating the situation and are appealing for any information or dashcam footage.

Sargent Joel Glen of West Kelowna RCMP said: “Racism of any kind has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. We are conducting a fulsome investigation into this incident, and appeal to anyone who witnessed it to come forward.”

Police added that if anyone has any information, they should call Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2800.

In May, 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.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian TV channel cancels programme after using “antisemitic rhetoric” on Twitter

A Canadian television channel has cancelled one of its programmes after the programme’s Twitter account used “antisemitic rhetoric” in a post, B’nai Brith Canada reported last Wednesday.

OMNI is a multicultural television channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media which aired Lama TV, a programme founded by Lama Aggad that was self-described as “the largest Canadian Arabic TV show that airs on OMNI and OMNI 2 National Television channels.”

However, after an inflammatory post in which Lama TV’s Twitter account accused a Christian terrorist of having a Jewish last name, OMNI dropped the programme from its schedule.

The post was in response to B’nai Brith Canada’s tweet, in which the Jewish group wrote: “Deeply disturbing to hear a speaker at tonight’s vigil for the London hate attack victims claim that the tragedy is linked to ‘whatever is happening in Jerusalem and Gaza.’ The London suspect is not Jewish.”

Lama TV replied by saying: “Veltman is a Jewish surname. Prove to us it isn’t.”

B’nai Brith Canada wrote in their report of the incident that “Disinformation like Lama TV’s tweet plays directly into hateful conspiracy myths and inflames animosity against Canadian Jews, including online. In addition, in a video posted to Lama TV’s YouTube account, [Ms] Aggad describes ‘Jewish Zionists’ as people who ‘break agreements,’ labels Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, a ‘terrorist state’ and repeatedly calls on viewers to launch an ‘electronic intifada’.”

B’nai Brith Canada raised the incident with Rogers Sports & Media, at which point the mass media company confirmed that it had not aired Lama TV since December 2020 due to “production reasons”, but also clarified that it would never broadcast the programme again as a result of its “antisemitic rhetoric”.

Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, said: “We commend Rogers for doing the right thing. There can be no room for antisemitism or discrimination of any kind in Canadian media. B’nai Brith will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that there are consequences for the perpetrators of antisemitism in Canada, especially after the outrages our community has witnessed over the past few months.”

Last week, we wrote that Canadian Jews had faced their “highest ever” number of antisemitic incidents recorded in a month during May. This news came after our report of 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.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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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.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Toronto man receives antisemitic abuse in a city-centre pharmacy

A Jewish shopper in Toronto posted a video on Facebook showing a fellow shopper screaming “dirty Jew” at him.

The Jewish shopper was abused while in a city-centre pharmacy by a woman shopper who had refused to put on a mask offered by an employee. She screamed “homosexual” and “dirty Jew” at him, in addition to other, inaudible comments. On leaving the pharmacy she again shouted “dirty Jew.”

The author of the Facebook post said that he had “considered not sharing” the video but “realised silence will not stop this sort of thing from happening again.” He added: “Let this be a reminder that hate is alive and well in our city” and said he had sent the video to B’nai Brith Canada which monitors antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Editor and publisher lose appeal against conviction for promoting antisemitic and misogynistic hate

A Canadian editor and publisher have lost their appeal against convictions for promoting antisemitic and misogynistic hate.

James Sears, 57, the editor of the free publication Your Ward News, and its publisher, LeRoy St. Germaine, 79, appealed against their 2019 convictions for wilfully promoting hatred against Jews and women.

Speaking at his appeal, Mr Sears argued that his lawyer, Dean Embry, was incompetent because he had failed to call witnesses to defend his Holocaust beliefs, for “fear of appearing antisemitic or of angering the judge.”

At his trial, Mr Sears stated that he did not believe gas chambers were used in the killing of six million Jews and claimed he had a “right to file a truth defence on historical facts.”

At the January 2019 trial, Judge Richard Blouin, now retired, convicted both men of two counts of promoting hatred and later sentenced Mr Sears to one year in jail and Mr St. Germaine to one year’s house arrest. He said that he would have given Mr Sears a harsher sentence if the law permitted.

At the appeal, Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Cavanagh rejected arguments that the trial judge had made numerous errors or shown bias or that Mr Sears’ lawyer had been incompetent.

Your Ward News was distributed to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in the Toronto area for free over three years, and was available online, and, according to reports, promoted Holocaust denial and antisemitic tropes about Jews drinking the blood of Christian children, as well as misogynistic tropes.

Jewish groups have welcomed the decision.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian Government announces emergency antisemitism summit as it welcomes former Green MP who condemned “apartheid” Israel

Canada’s Liberal Government has announced that it will convene an emergency summit on antisemitism at almost the same time as it faces criticism for welcoming a former Green MP who condemned Israel and referred to it as an “apartheid” state.

The summit is to be led by Irwin Cotler, Canada’s special envoy on antisemitism and a former Liberal MP. It comes in response to calls from Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) citing a dramatic rise in anti-Jewish bigotry online and across the country.

In a statement welcoming the summit, CIJA President Shimon Koffler Fogel cited the “troubling rise of anti-Jewish bigotry” which had been particularly acute during the most recent conflict when “Jews in Canada and around the globe” were being targeted for “expressing solidarity with their fellow Jews in Israel who were under attack from Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation.”

Mr Koffler Fogel said that antisemitism had targeted Jewish-owned businesses, schools, workplaces, unions, and “on our streets”. He added that there had been “an unprecedented spike” in antisemitic vitriol online.

In May, when Hamas was firing rockets into Israel, Green MP Jenica Atwin criticised Green Party Leader Annamie Paul over Ms Paul’s call for de-escalation and a return to “dialogue between the two sides.” On Twitter, Ms Atwin said there were “no two sides to this conflict” but “only human rights abuses” by Israel. Stating “I stand with Palestine”, she condemned the “unthinkable airstrikes in Gaza” and declared “End Apartheid!”

Opposition MPs, members of the Jewish community, and some Liberals believed that Ms Atwin’s rhetoric contributed to the online vitriol leading to questions over why she had been welcomed into the governing party.  

On Twitter, former Liberal MP Michael Levitt – now President of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre – said he was “disappointed and concerned” that Ms Atwin had joined the Party “given her inflammatory, one-sided and divisive rhetoric.”

In the House, Conservative MP Peter Kent argued that MPs should try to calm, “not inflame inter-communal discord,” and asked the Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau: “Why then have the Liberals welcomed a floor-crossing MP, disciplined by her own former party for inflammatory, misguided and intemperate remarks?”

Mr Garneau said that “on the issue of the apartheid label”, The Liberal Government “reject it, categorically.” It was “not part of the Government approach with respect to Israel,” Mr Garneau told the House, adding: “We, of course, are completely against any antisemitism that would be displayed by any Canadian citizen.”

Welcoming Mr Garneau’s statement about Ms Atwin, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said he was pleased that the Minister had made it clear that her view was “absolutely contrary to the position of our Government.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a brief statement noting Ms Atwin’s “tireless and effective advocacy on priorities like climate action, mental health, reconciliation, and making life more affordable for families.”

Dominic LeBlanc, the intergovernmental affairs minister and a New Brunswick MP, said the Liberal party welcomed divergent opinions which “enrich” the party caucus.

In May, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau offered his support to Canada’s Jews after the country saw a surge in antisemitism. 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.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Quebec Government adopts International Definition of Antisemitism following recent spate of antisemitic incidents

The Quebec Government has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism following the spate of antisemitic incidents last month.

Anti-Racism Minister, Benoît Charette, said: “It is our duty to take all possible means to combat antisemitism. This is why the Government of Quebec is joining the renewed international effort by adopting, as many countries, parliaments and international organizations have done.”

The decision, which was announced earlier this week, was greeted by Jewish organisations, including Federation CJA and Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) Quebec.

Eta Yudin, Vice President of CJA Quebec, said: “Today, the Minister responsible for the Fight Against Racism, Benoit Charette, and the Government of Quebec have taken a concrete step forward in the fight against antisemitism. The adoption of the [D]efinition is a clear affirmation of our elected officials’ recognition of the seriousness of the upsurge in hate targeting Jews and of the need for concrete action to counter this rise. We applaud Minister Charette and the Government for their leadership in the fight against Jew-hatred, an issue that concerns all Quebecers.”

The decision comes after Canada was rocked by a significant increase in antisemitic incidents during the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

On the weekend of 15th May in Montreal, police had to intervene using tear gas after a rally in support of Israel was interrupted by counter-protesters. Rocks were thrown at pro-Israel demonstrators and several antisemitic slurs were said to have been used. Antisemitic signs featuring Nazi imagery were also spotted among the counter-protesters.

In Côte St. Luc, a suburb of Montreal with a sizeable Jewish population, two men aged nineteen and twenty were arrested for allegedly threatening the Jewish community. 

Jewish residents of Montreal have also been subjected to antisemitic harassment online and death threats and the synagogues in the area were given added security, while police have increased their presence in areas with Jewish communities as a “preventative” measure.

The City of Montreal has so far refused to adopt the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Justin Trudeau says antisemitic intimidation and violence “must stop immediately” as Canada rocked by unprecedented wave of antisemitism during conflict between Hamas and Israel

Canada has been rocked by a significant increase in antisemitic incidents during the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Recent demonstrations in support of different sides in the conflict have been tarnished by several antisemitic incidents. On the weekend of 15th May in Montreal, police had to intervene using tear gas after a rally in support of Israel was interrupted by counter-protesters. Rocks were thrown at pro-Israel demonstrators and several antisemitic slurs were said to have been used. Antisemitic signs featuring Nazi imagery were also spotted among the counter-protesters.

In the wake of the incident, Jewish residents of Montreal have been subjected to antisemitic harassment online and death threats.

A law student has revealed some of the shocking antisemitic messages which she has received online. “I hope you will die after being raped by your own kind…Zionist terrorist b**ch,” read one.

“I will love to kill you for no reason…you or your child,” another says.

In response to a photo uploaded to her Instagram, a user replied: “Hell for you is what awaits.”

Another message simply reads “salope”, meaning “slut,” while other messages joked about Adolf Hitler.

In Côte St. Luc, a suburb of Montreal with a sizeable Jewish population, two men aged nineteen and twenty were arrested for allegedly threatening the Jewish community. They were believed to have filmed themselves on Snapchat before and during their arrest. The video reportedly shows one of the men saying: “We’re going to Côte-Saint-Luc where all the Jews are…f**k Israel, bunch of Jews!”

The Mayor of Côte St. Luc, Mitchell Brownstein, denounced the antisemitism and encouraged other Canadian municipal leaders to do the same. Mayor Brownstein said: “All the leadership on both sides needs to, whatever your political opinions are, agree with the values of Canada, and the values of Quebec and denounce intimidation, prejudice, antisemitic remarks. There are people in my community that are concerned…I feel terrible when I hear people say that they’re afraid to outwardly show that they’re Jewish.”

Synagogues in the Montreal area now have added security, while police have increased their presence in areas with Jewish communities as a “preventative” measure.

Montreal’s Mayor, Valérie Plante, condemned the antisemitism, stating: “Montreal has the well-deserved reputation of being a city with different communities who live together in peace and security. Demonstrating is a right, but intolerance, violence and antisemitism have no place with us. Montreal is a city of peace.”

That same weekend, shocking scenes emerged out of a Toronto demonstration against Israel where two arrests were made. Several antisemitic incidents took place, including reports of sexual harassment and assault leading to hospitalisation.

An Israeli attendee claimed that “it got really terrifying” after he was chased by people brandishing sticks and rocks. Other reports state that glasses and stones were thrown at Jewish people by a mob yelling “Allahu Akbar.”

Two women driving in a car displaying an Israeli flag came under attack when their car was surrounded and jumped on. At one point demonstrators attempted to break the windscreen using flag poles. Their Israeli flag was taken and burned by demonstrators. One of the women said: “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever endured in my life.”

At the same demonstration, a Jewish girl who got caught up in the raucous mob was molested. A Twitter user who had reportedly spoken to the girl said that the victim recounted: “I yelled at them and one of them kicked me while another grabbed my breasts and made kissy noises. Then he ran off.”

There have been further incidents in Toronto. In Vaughan, police are reportedly investigating four cases of antisemitic banners over the past two weeks in various parts of Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue area, while a Jewish customer was denied service at a U-Haul independent dealer.

The Mayor of Toronto, John Tory said: “Hate, antisemitism and violence have no place in our city.”

In Milton, a suburb of Toronto, hundreds reportedly participated in a rally where the antisemitic “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” chant was heard. Translated in English as “Jews, remember the battle of Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning”, the chant is a classic Arabic battle cry referencing the massacre and expulsion of the Jews of the town of Khaybar in northwestern Arabia, now Saudi Arabia, in the year 628 CE.

The same antisemitic chant was also heard at a rally in Calgary.

However, recent antisemitism in Canada has not been limited to the protests, for example in Edmonton, where police are investigating after Jewish homes were targeted with antisemitic rhetoric and intimidation. According to the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, a car was “driving through the neighbourhood ‘seeking Jews,’ confronting people and making threats.”

According to one witness, as he was walking down his parents’ driveway at around 21:00, a car drove past from which several young men yelled “Free Palestine!” The car reportedly then looped back around and they asked: “Are there any Jews here? Any Jews live here? Where do the Jews live?”

Edmonton’s Police Chief Dale McFee said: “The Edmonton Police Service denounces any and all acts of hate; incidents such as these have no place in our city, and we do not tolerate acts of intimidation or violence. We understand these acts create feelings of fear within our communities, and as an organisation, we are committed to keeping people safe, and fostering a sense of safety for all Edmontonians.”

The antisemitic incidents were also condemned by Samer Elbekai, the President of the Canada Palestine Cultural Association. “Anytime there is comments like this, we oppose these things,” said Mr Elbekai. “You shouldn’t be judged based on your race, belief, religion. We don’t encourage anybody to go out and do this, we don’t support it…if there’s any rallies in the near future, we hope that people will protest in peace and respect the laws and respect each other across the city of Edmonton and across the country.”

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.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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U-Haul to investigate alleged denial of service to Jewish customer in Canada

U-Haul, the moving and rental company, is reportedly investigating the denial of service to a Jewish customer by one of its independent dealer locations in Canada.

The victim reported of the incident that the dealer mentioned to him that he was watching a video about the conflict between Hamas and Israel and said that his country is at war, to which the victim replied that his country is also at war. After being asked where he is from, the victim said that he is from Israel, as he has lived there in the past.

The victim then recounted that the dealer “took out his phone and started to film me and tell me my people are killing all his people” and “chased me out of his tractor trailer U-Haul location in the parking lot”, telling him that “I am never welcome to come back to his business”.

The victim described the incident as an antisemitic hate crime and has reported it to the police and local Jewish organisations.

In a statement, U-Haul reportedly said: “We are aware of the allegations about an independent small business that also serves as a U-Haul dealer location. Our local team was informed earlier today and is looking into the situation. U-Haul practices a policy of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Concordia University Students’ Union apologises for standing “idly by” when “Jewish students are afraid to openly identify as Jewish”

The Students’ Union at Concordia University, Montreal, has apologised to the Jewish community for standing “idly by” in the face of antisemitism on campus, and has called for training to combat anti-Jewish sentiment.

In an open letter of apology on its Facebook page, the Students’ Union said that its mistakes were “embarrassing” and expressed regret that in standing “idly by” it had “assisted in fostering a campus culture where Jewish students are afraid to openly identify as Jewish.”

The Students’ Union also pledged to implement antisemitism training for incoming officers and to include “a Jewish perspective” in its operations when dealing in future with “topics of discrimination.”

The letter concluded by saying that the Students’ Union had “stood idly by in the past while acts of antisemitism occurred” and that it hoped “not to repeat those mistakes” and that the Jewish community would give it “a chance to support them in the future.”

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Quebec expressed “gratitude and pride in the students of our community who very intelligently and very courageously engaged in the necessary dialogue to bring this about.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police identify suspect over antisemitic graffiti on Canadian Jewish centre

Police have identified one of the suspects whom they believe plastered antisemitic graffiti on the side of the Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning in Victoria, Canada.  

Two suspects were caught on surveillance vandalising the Chabad Centre on Glasgow Street, and the incident was reported on 6th April. A few days later, one of the suspects came forward.

Police are still investigating, and the graffiti has since been removed.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Far-left student group reportedly vandalises “Zionist Synagogue” and harasses Canadian Jews

A far-left Canadian student group, which has previously referred to Vancouver’s Temple Sholom as a “Zionist Synagogue,” is allegedly engaged in a campaign of harassment against the Toronto Jewish community.

During Passover, graffiti attacking the International Definition of Antisemitism and allegedly signed by the Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM) was found at a Toronto train station. Over the following weekend, a number of other sites were defaced, including a bank in a Jewish neighbourhood which was spray-painted with “Freedom for Ahmad Sa’adat! Death to Zionism!” alongside the Communist hammer and sickle symbol.

Ahmad Sa’adat, who is in prison in Israel, is General-Secretary of the the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP, which opposed the existence of Israel entirely, has also targeted Jewish schoolchildren and was responsible for other massacres of civilians.

The RSM proclaims that it is guided by Marxist, Leninist, Maoist and “Gonzalo” principles (the latter being an allusion to the leader of Peru’s murderous revolutionary “Shining Path” terror group). RSM has also openly endorsed antisemitic vandalism. Last year, pictures sent by “supporters” who had spray-painted “Free Palestine” outside Vancouver’s Temple Sholom, were hailed by the Vancouver branch of the group which described Temple Sholom as “a Zionist Synagogue.”

The community is working with law enforcement, with one communal leader saying that he is “confident that this terrorist-admiring cell will eventually be brought to justice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Police identify person of interest in case of antisemitic insults at Toronto bakery

Toronto police have identified a person of interest in a case of antisemitic insults at a bakery in the city.

The incident took place on 12th March at a bakery near Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue and amounted to a “suspected hate-motivated assault”, according to police.

The bakery is located in a vibrant Jewish community.

A police spokesperson explained that “the man stepped outside with a witness when disagreement became heated. Outside, the man continued to make offensive comments. The victim intervened and challenged the suspect. He then punched the victim in the face.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Posters “antisemitic in nature” investigated by Vancouver police

Canadian police are investigating after a large number of antisemitic posters were put up in the Vancouver area of Kelowna.

The posters and decals were pasted along a busy thoroughfare and at Kelowna General Hospital. Police have not given details but described the material as “antisemitic in nature”.

In a news release, Kelowna police said that the initial complainant had removed a number of posters and municipal employees were continuing to remove them and that investigators had discovered more posters and decals “associated to the same group”. They are reviewing videos that could help “to identify those involved” as well as appealing for “dash-cam” videos and information.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Auction platform kicks off Montreal auction house for selling “utterly grotesque” Holocaust-related items

A Montreal-based auction house has been removed from an international auction platform after it was found to be selling offensive Holocaust-related items.

Madison’s Historical of Montreal was removed from the “Live Auctioneers” platform after items on sale – including used Zyklon B gas canisters which it described as “the holy grail” – were flagged up by the Toronto-based Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), which asked Live Auctioneers to take action.

Other items on sale by Madison’s included Nazi weapons and memorabilia and personal items belonging to concentration camp prisoners. In a statement to FSWC, Live Auctioneers said that all offensive Holocaust items had been removed.

Live Auctioneers said that it had suspended the auction house for violating several of its policies, including one which “limits the glorification of vile historical objects” and discourages the modern reproduction “of hateful items”. Madison’s Historical has taken down its website.

FSWC called the items “utterly grotesque” and an “insult to six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazi regime.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Montreal police arrest man in connection with horrific desecration of synagogue

A man has appeared in a Montreal court charged with the desecration of a synagogue in a Montreal suburb.

Patrice Belley-Gervais appeared in connection with May 2020 desecration and vandalism at the Congregation Sepharde Kol Yehudaa, a small synagogue in the Cote-St-Luc suburb with a large Jewish population.

When congregants returned to the synagogue after its lengthy closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, they found that it had been trashed with walls covered in antisemitic graffiti, religious items strewn on the floor and Torah scrolls stuffed down a toilet. At the time, one congregant described it as “carnage”, while a leading activist group called it “one of the worst such incidents in years.”

The arrest of Mr Belley-Gervais by Montreal Police follows the earlier arrest of Adam Riga (known also as Adam Rickett), 28, charged in January with defacing Montreal’s famed Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue with antisemitic graffiti, uttering threats and trying to commit arson.

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Arrest for leader of Canadian far-right party who allegedly said Jews should be removed “once-and-for-all, from our country”

Travis Patron, the founder and head of the far-right Canadian Nationalist Party (CNP), who reportedly said that Jews should be removed “once-and-for-all from our country”, has been arrested and charged with wilfully promoting hatred against Jews.

The arrest of Mr Patron, 29, in his home province of Saskatchewan, follows a 2019 social network video called “Beware the Parasitic Tribe.” In the video, Mr Patron claimed that Jewish people “infiltrate the media”, are “swindlers” and “snakes” and that they “infect the body politic like a parasite.”

What “we need to do,” he said, “is remove these people once-and-for-all from our country.”

Following the video, an official complaint was filed against Mr Patron with the police and the Saskatchewan Attorney-General by Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

Mr Patron, who, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, also has a social media history of denying the Holocaust, is scheduled to appear in court on 14th April. The maximum penalty for the offence is two years in prison.

Jewish groups welcomed the news of his arrest.

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Progressive think-tank and Canadian Jews condemn political party’s invitation to “toxic” Corbyn

A Progressive think-tank and Canadian Jewish organisations have expressed outrage at an invitation to Jeremy Corbyn to participate in an event organised by Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP).

Now an independent MP following his suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr Corbyn – under whose leadership the Party was found to have unlawfully victimised and harassed Jewish members by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) – has been invited to join “a conversation” with an NDP MP.

Rick Smith, the Director of the Broadbent Institute, a think tank with links to the NDP, criticised the invitation. After sharing the EHRC report, he declared: “This is not the sort of person that should headline a Progressive fundraiser or occupy the time of Canadian Progressive leaders.”

Describing Mr Corbyn as “toxic”, a Canadian Jewish leader said that it was “staggering” that, given the “catastrophic” and “consequential” issues currently facing Canada, this was where “some in the NDP want to spend the Party’s capital.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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British Columbia mayor caught in Indigenous Peoples racism row admits Facebook post trivialising the Holocaust

The mayor of a village in British Columbia, who was embroiled in a row over an allegedly racist social media post about Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, has now admitted to writing a Facebook post in which she trivialised the Holocaust.

The Mayor of Pouce Coupe, Lorraine Michetti, has apologised for an online post about Indigenous Peoples, but at a recent council meeting, she admitted that she had also written a Facebook post in which she said that federal gun control laws made her feel like a Jew “waiting for my cattle car.” She allegedly also said: “Once they take our guns away…back when Hitler…that’s what it was all about.”

Councillor Ken Drover challenged her saying that it was “a terrible, terrible, comparison” and “inexcusable.”

Ms Michetti allegedly replied that she “realised that”, but that her words had been “taken out of context.”

She also said that she would not step down despite having received emails from “all over Canada” saying that she should resign.

Federal Municipal Affairs Minister Josie Osborne criticised Ms Michetti’s comments, saying that elected officials were expected to “act with integrity.”

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Swastikas daubed on trees in Vancouver park

Swastikas and a white power slogan have been discovered at a city-centre park in Vancouver.

Swastikas and the words “white power” were painted on trees in Riverview Park.

The vandalism was condemned by city officials and the Park Board who described it as “abhorrent” and said that they stood in solidarity with the Jewish community and all those “targeted by these messages” which were “intended to create shock, fear and division.”

Their statement continued: “They are offensive to all of us who stand for human rights and dignity and will not be excused or tolerated.”

Cleaning crews removed the graffiti.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Google

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Canadian university urged to condemn antisemitism after academic makes comments about Jewish money

A Canadian university has been urged to condemn antisemitism publicly after one of its professors made a number of inflammatory statements, including the suggestion that Jewish money may be corrupting the institution.

In an online event organised by Ottawa’s Carleton University in early February, sociology Professor Nahla Abdo said: “Money works – I wish we had money. We could have donated a lot of money and buildings. Israeli… you know, you have tons of buildings, everywhere, actually named after donors. That is not a strategy that Palestinians can do. They are not there, in that world. So they can continue to be victims of that.” In the context of the discussion, the insinuation was that Jewish money may be corrupting the University and influencing its policies. Prof. Abdo walked back the statement later in the event.

Prof Abdo also accused Israel of using “genocidal tactics” against Arabs and “Arab Jews”.

The event was part of a discussion over the university’s adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Michael Mostyn said that the University needed to “investigate Professor Abdo’s remarks, publicly condemn antisemitism” and look at its language on “diversity and inclusion” to ensure that it combats antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Outrage as Canadian conspiracy theorist puts yellow star and “Covid Caust” on T-shirt comparing lockdown rules and vaccines to Holocaust

Canada’s Jewish community has expressed outrage after a vaccine conspiracy theorist created a t-shirt using the words “Covid Caust” inside a yellow Star of David.

Canadian television network CTV reported that the t-shirt had been created by Vancouver-based anti-vaccine activist Susan Standfield. In an Instagram video explaining the design, Ms Standfield stated, “We are the official yellow star class in Canada”, and said that her design was “an act of solidarity among all persecuted people.”

One senior Jewish figure in the Vancouver community said that it was “irrational” and “makes no sense” to compare a vaccine to save people’s lives with “the genocide of a people.”

Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Vancouver synagogue Zoombombed by “screaming” Holocaust denier

A screaming Holocaust-denier infiltrated a virtual gathering last weekend of the Or Shalom Synagogue, according to the Vancouver congregation’s leadership.

They said that the antisemitic racist used a fake identity and “snuck into their virtual gathering” in what they are calling a “Zoombombing.”

Synagogue co-Chair David Kauffman explained that due to pandemic-related restrictions the synagogue in Canada’s main West Coast city held a virtual event on Sunday evening. He said that an unknown person using a “Jewish sounding” name joined the Zoom, but kept his video off before screaming and “disrupting with what sounded like a recording of Holocaust denial”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has warned about the phenomenon of Zoombombing over the past year, as video gatherings have become more common during the period of pandemic lockdowns.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Suspect named in antisemitic vandalism of prominent Montreal synagogue

A suspect has been named in connection with the antisemitic vandalism of a prominent Montreal synagogue.

Adam Riga, who also goes by the name Adam Rackett, has reportedly been identified as the man charged with the antisemitic vandalism of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Montreal.

One of the Canadian city’s major Jewish landmarks, the synagogue was spray-painted with swastikas a week ago. In a letter to congregants, the synagogue’s Rabbi Adam Scheier said that the perpetrator, who had been stopped by a synagogue security guard, was carrying a canister of gasoline when arrested after spray-painting doors of the synagogue with swastikas.

Mr Riga is understood to be a supporter of the movement to boycott Israel.

Montreal police said that a psychological exam had been ordered on the a 28-year-old, as he appeared to be suffering from mental health problems.

On Twitter, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the vandalism “despicable,” while Marc Miller, the Indigenous Services Minister, condemned it as an “utter disgrace.”

Former Premier Stephen Harper tweeted that his prayers were with the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue and its congregation. “I’m saddened and appalled to see such a vile antisemitic attack on a place so sacred to the Montreal Jewish community,” he declared, adding: “We must come together as Canadians and denounce all forms of hatred.”

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-Chair of Québec’s main Jewish representative organisation, said yjsy the Jewish community was “outraged” by the “vile assault on Congregation Shaar Hashomayim.” He added: “This attack targets the entire community and all those who embrace civility and tolerance.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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“I no longer feel safe in this city”, says Vancouver man after suffering a physical assault

Eddie Elmer, a resident of Vancouver, Canada, has decided to speak out after falling victim to a hate-motivated physical assault for the second time in a year.

The incident occurred “in the heart of downtown” Vancouver early on 9th January. Mr Elmer reported that a male approached him while he was waiting to cross at a junction and began shouting antisemitic comments. The perpetrator reportedly yelled, “you Jewish people”, and proceeded to strike Mr Elmer in the head and leg.

In August of last year, Mr Elmer reported another hate-related incident in which an unknown male called him a homophobic slur, followed him and threatened to “put a bullet in [his] head”. He has subsequently issued a public statement on his personal social media page and expressed a deep concern for his safety and wellbeing in Vancouver.

A report to the Vancouver Police Board in October of 2020 discovered that hate crimes had increased by 116 percent since the previous year.

Mr Elmer called the emergency services directly after the recent incident, and the suspect was arrested on an unrelated warrant. The city’s hate crimes section is reviewing the file and the investigation is ongoing.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist in this project.

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Antisemitic graffiti found in Thornbury, Ontario

Antisemitic graffiti was recently discovered in a neighbourhood in Thornbury, Ontario by local residents. Several swastikas were spray-painted across mounds of snow, alongside expletives and fascist rhetoric.

The incident was reported to local Mayor Alar Soever, who then issued a condemnation of antisemitism in the community and called for zero tolerance for manifestations of such hatred. He assured Jewish residents that he had contacted the Ontario Provincial Police who are undertaking an investigation into the incident.

A 2019 study showed that there had been a 62.8% increase in antisemitic attacks or crimes in the province compared to the previous year. Several organisations have praised the fast action of the Mayor, but many have also expressed great concern at the alarming rate of incidents in the country, stating that more must be done to combat and prevent antisemitic incidents occurring.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Toronto radio station severs ties with controversial Polish broadcaster

A Canadian radio station has cut its long-standing ties with a leading controversial Polish broadcaster over its alleged antisemitism.

In a move welcomed by Jewish groups, Toronto AM station CJMR1320 last week notified Polish Catholic broadcaster Radio Maryja of the immediate cancelation of its contract.

CJMR vice-president Matt Caine noted that the Polish broadcaster had failed to respond adequately to detailed complaints about its portrayal of Jews and Judaism, and that its Canadian representative had simply dismissed these as “inaccurate.”

B’nai Brith Canada, which had provided evidence of Radio Maryja’s alleged “vitriolic antisemitic content,” apparently including conspiracy theories and references to Jews as “greedy,” said that it was “extremely pleased” by the decision.

Former deputy premier of Alberta, Thomas Lukaszuk, said that by “eliminating the often offensive Radio Maryja” the Toronto radio station was “silencing” division in Canada.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian MP denies antisemitism after controversial intervention in finance debate

A Canadian MP is denying charges of antisemitism after allegedly calling out the name “George Soros” during a speech about the economy by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in Canada’s House of Commons on Tuesday.

Mr Soros, a financier, philanthropist and controversial political activist, is often the subject of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Conservative MP John Brassard allegedly invoked Mr Soros as Ms Freeland was responding to a question about the Government’s post-COVID plans for the economy.

Amid the noisy jeering that accompanied her statement, an MP – later identified by Liberals as Mr Brassard – was allegedly heard to yell “George Soros”.

Mr Brassard is refusing to apologise and is denying charges of antisemitism. “There was nothing in what I said that was in any way antisemitic,” he told a Liberal MP. It is unclear whether Mr Brassard was invoking Mr Soros because of a tangible connection between Mr Soros’ political activism or for some conspiratorial purpose.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Toronto restaurant serving up inflammatory social media posts closes

A restaurant in Toronto that reportedly declared on social media that Zionists were Nazis has closed.

At the weekend, the owner of Foodbenders announced on Instagram that it would be closing. Online photographs show the restaurant and catering business has been boarded up.

In July, Foodbenders provoked outrage when it stated on Instagram that Zionists were not welcome. Other antisemitic posts declared “Zionists are Nazis” and denounced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “Zionist puppet,” among other inflammatory claims. There were also posts accusing Jewish groups of controlling elected officials and the media.

Foodbenders and its owner now reportedly face a raft of legal challenges. These apparently include a C$750,000 lawsuit from a Toronto interior designer with joint Canadian and Israeli citizenship; two complaints before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and a request for the owner’s business license to be revoked for breach of a by-law that prohibits discrimination.

Announcing the closure, the owner wrote that the seriousness of the charges meant she must “focus on giving my very best defence in court.”

She added that she has raised some C$47,000 for her legal defence fund.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Anti-mask protests in Vancouver linked to Holocaust denial and antisemitism

Antisemitism and Holocaust denial has become a regular feature of anti-lockdown protests in the Canadian West Coast city of Vancouver.

An anti-mask Twitter feed recently posted a video of prominent local anti-lockdown activist Marco Pietro denying the use of gas chambers in the Holocaust and claiming that the number of Jews murdered had been inflated, while a speaker at a recent rally referred to the Jews as “Satanic, Talmudic” people. Mr Pietro also organised a previous rally in Vancouver in May.

An earlier video shows Mr Pietro alleging that “a bunch of Zionist Jews” were responsible for “setting up” the Nazi leader and claiming that Mein Kampf did not contain “one racist dictate or anything of the sort”

“Oh, I’m a Holocaust disbeliever,” Mr Pietro boasted on the video. “You’re f**kin’ right I am.”

He then stated that he had done “the research” before claiming that the Holocaust never happened and that there were no gas chambers and accusing Holocaust survivors of having made “millions of dollars” by lying about their ordeal.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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University of Toronto sets up working group to combat antisemitism

An antisemitism working group has been set up at the University of Toronto to “examine and address” campus antisemitism to help the university to be more “pro-active in creating a culture of inclusion” for Jewish students and staff .

The working will be led by senior academic Prof. Arthur Ripstein. As well as reviewing current practices to address antisemitism, it will recommend ways to improve education about antisemitism and propose initiatives to eliminate antisemitism on campus.

The recommendations will be made to the President and Vice-Presidents of the University as part of the University’s commitment to combating racism across its three campuses.

Prof. Ripstein said the aim was to ensure that the University “not only responds” to “incidents or allegations” of antisemitism, but was “pro-active in creating a culture of inclusion” so that “various forms of discrimination, including antisemitism,” were “tackled through education.”

Other members of the working group include doctoral students, senior academics and senior administrators with roles in human resources and anti-racism. Consultations with the Jewish staff and students would be vital in helping shape the recommendations, said Prof. Ripstein.

“No form of discrimination is tolerated at the University of Toronto,” the University Vice-President said, adding that antisemitism was a form of “discrimination, harassment and hatred that undermines our values.” The University recognised that it needed to be “more proactive and responsive” in addressing it on campus, she added.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian campus fraternity behind antisemitic chatroom “seething with hate”

A fraternity at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada was exposed on 26th November for running a private online chatroom allegedly “seething with hateful comments” against Jewish people, Black people and the LGBT community.

Members of Delta Chi were reportedly shown to have “[spoken] about burning Jewish people” and described “Black people [as] better as slaves” while expressing a desire to recreate torture strategies similar to the Klu Klux Klan, according to Pink News, which has apparently seen screenshots of the offensive content.

In a statement, the University of Windsor President and Vice-Chancellor reportedly detailed how the social media conversations were “disturbing” and “entirely incongruent with the values of [the] school”. He reassured the student body that the institution will work towards a more inclusive and equitable culture for the community that expresses zero tolerance for racism and hatred.

The University is launching an investigation into the incident to ensure the emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing of everyone in its care.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism across Canada

Prime Minister of Canada named the Hon. Irwin Cotler as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism on 25th November.

Mr Cotler is a retired politician, academic and esteemed human rights advocate.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintains that the country and its government is committed to reinforcing and strengthening Canada’s efforts to develop Holocaust education, remembrance and research, and to tackle antisemitic hatred in order to promote and protect the human rights of its citizens.

Mr Cotler will lead the Government of Canada’s use of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and he is hoping to work collaboratively with other member countries and domestic and international partners to strengthen Holocaust awareness locally and globally.

As Special Envoy, Mr Cotler is set to support the advocacy and outreach efforts of the public, civil society and academia to encourage the adoption and application of the Definition across the country.

Prime Minister Trudeau, in the recent announcement, stressed that “antisemitism has no place in Canada – or anywhere else.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Canadian Imam, teacher and activist shares prayer to “Tear them [the Jews] to pieces”

An imam in British Columbia has recently been found to have shared on his official Facebook page Islamic prayers that call for violence against the Jewish people.

In July 2014 Younus Kathrada, who is also an Islamic Studies teacher, public speaker and community and youth activist, posted a religious prayer that included lyrics such as: “Count them and kill them selectively, and do not leave a single one of them, and make them an example for their likes among the [Jews], [Christians], and [polytheists]” and “Purify it [Al-Asqa Mosque] from the brothers of monkeys and khanzeer [Jews]…Tear them [Jews] to pieces, and sow dissension between them and their followers.”

The imam reportedly has a history of antisemitic and hateful remarks. In October 2019, he advised his congregants not to vote in the Canadian federal election and argued that all Jewish and Christian candidates were “evil” and “filthy”. In March and April this year, YouTube videos by Mr Kathrada, aimed at a young target audience, urged followers to “destroy the enemies of Islam, the heretics and the atheists.” The videos are yet to be removed.

B’nai Brith Canada reported the incidents to the police after Mr Kathrada first called Jews “brothers of monkeys and swine” in 2004, and the organisation has since reached out to the British Columbia Hate Crimes Unit concerning his more recent attacks and outbursts. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that has listed Mr Kathrada’s Muslim Youth of Victoria Society as a registered charity, and there have been calls on the Minister of National Revenue to investigate these incidents.

The Chief Executive Officer for B’nai Brith Canada has stated that hate-mongering “under the guise of religious discourse” is inexcusable and must be investigated to guarantee that antisemitic sentiments are not ignored or facilitated.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Man convicted of promoting hatred towards Jews is sentenced for breach of probation in British Columbia, Canada

Arthur Topham has been sentenced to a 30-day conditional sentence plus three years probation, following a failure to comply with the terms of his previous probation period.

The recent sentencing on 20th November comes after Mr Topham had been found guilty of breach of probation and a prior conviction in 2017 for wilfully promoting hatred against Jews.

In November 2015, Mr Topham was convicted by a jury for calling for the forceful sterilisation of the Jews, claiming that the country is “controlled by the Zionist Jewish lobby” and referring to Jewish places of worship as “synagogues of Satan”. However, he launched a failed constitutional challenge to Canada’s hate speech legislation, which subsequently delayed his sentencing until March 2017.

Despite a possible maximum sentence of two years imprisonment, he received a six-month curfew and a ban on online engagement requiring him to abstain from posting any content related to the Jewish people for two years. Earlier this year, he proceeded to violate these terms by sharing antisemitic material and imagery.

The conditions of his updated three-year probation period include a ban on posting any online content related to the Jewish people, the Jewish religion, Israel, Israelis and Zionism. B’nai Brith Canada has praised the sentencing decision and welcomed this as a reminder that there are consequences for such offensive actions against Jewish citizens.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: B’nai Brith Canada

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Editor convicted of hate crimes in Canada bases on appeal on his lawyer’s refusal to defend Holocaust denial

The editor of a controversial Toronto free-sheet is basing a legal appeal against a conviction for racial hatred in part on his lawyer’s refusal to defend Holocaust denial.

James Sears, the editor of free publication Your Ward News, and its publisher, LeRoy St. Germaine, are appealing against their 2019 convictions for wilfully promoting hatred against Jews and women. Speaking at his appeal last week, Mr Sears argued that his lawyer, Dean Embry, was incompetent because he had failed to call witnesses to defend his Holocaust beliefs, for “fear of appearing antisemitic or of angering the judge.”

At his trial, Mr Sears stated that he did not believe gas chambers were used in the killing of six million Jews and claimed he had a “right to file a truth defence on historical facts.”

When finding the two men guilty last year, the Ontario Judge said that the case against them was overwhelming and noted that they “promoted hate to a vast audience in an era where online exposure to this material inexorably leads to extremism.” Mr Sears was given the maximum one-year jail sentence and granted bail pending appeal. St. Germaine was given 12 months’ strict house arrest. The judge said that he would have given longer sentences if the statutes allowed.

Mr Sears, 57, who likened himself to “an actor who portrays a lawyer on TV,” is handling his own appeal.

Testifying, Mr Sears said that at his trial he had repeatedly urged his lawyer to call witnesses in an effort to undermine the testimony of the prosecution’s experts on antisemitism and misogyny, but his lawyer had refused.

Mr Embry said that, while he considered Mr Sears’ views about the Holocaust to be indefensible, he believed that they “had a shot at raising a doubt about whether the accused had been promoting hate.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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City council adopts International Definition of Antisemitism in Orillia, Ontario

Following an hour-long presentation from Holocaust survivor Man Eisen, Orillia’s City Council unanimously approved the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism on 9th October.

The recent move comes as part of a broader motion that referenced the city’s hope to be a “welcoming, caring, inclusive and accessible community” in its 2018-2020 strategic plan to combat racism in Orillia.

The city’s Mayor invited Mr Eisen to make the presentation to the City Council in order to approach the “disgusting issue of racism”. The virtual presentation explored his experiences of the Holocaust, including the murder of several family members in Auschwitz.

He said while he remains grateful to the country that has acted as a “safe haven”, it is vital that Canadians remain vigilant in the fight against antisemitism. Along with the wider Jewish community, Mr Eisen expressed shock “to see such poison coming out” and suggested that the city’s endorsement of the Definition is an encouraging sign that the rising rates of antisemitism are being effectively tackled.

Many councillors reportedly found the content distressing, and thus decided significant action had to be undertaken to reflect an appropriate condemnation of such hatred.

Canada announced an intention to adopt the Definition in 2019, and the country’s province of Ontario recently recognised the Definition following a series of hateful and discriminatory incidents across the region.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Ontario Government insists it has adopted the entire International Definition of Antisemitism, including all of the integral examples

Ontario’s Government has insisted that it has adopted the entire International Definition of Antisemitism, including all of the integral examples.

There have been claims recently that the Canadian province did not adopt all of the examples in the Definition, which are integral to its meaning and utility, but the Government has rejected these claims.

For example, a Conservative MPP reportedly stated that the Definition adopted by the Order in Council would be more limited than its opponents feared, which caused subsequent concern in the Jewish community.

However, A spokesperson for the Government House Leader has confirmed that Ontario endorses the Definition in its entirety, including the “illustrative examples”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

We are seeking to recruit a General Counsel a Creative Communications and Events Officer a Communications and Research Manager an Education and Outreach Intern to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.