Beyond the Net: Why we can’t normalize hate
It is nearly impossible to be born and raised in Quebec without being swept up in the frenzy of a potential Stanley Cup run for our beloved Habs. Politicians, artists, and everyday Montrealers alike are invested. There is a rare consensus in this province: the Habs must win.
It is a welcome distraction—one that unites, energizes, and briefly pulls us away from the weight of everything else.
For me, that distraction came to an abrupt end with the news of another terrorist attack—this time in London—where two Jews were stabbed. The shift was jarring but clarifying. Because even as we rally around moments of collective excitement, something else continues to advance in the background, less visible but far more consequential.
And it is not isolated.
What we are witnessing is not a series of disconnected incidents, but a sustained campaign of attrition unfolding in plain sight. Each event is treated as a shock in the moment, then absorbed into routine. Condemnations are issued. Statistics are cited. Security is increased. And then attention moves on.
Meanwhile, the underlying conditions do not change.
Over time, this repetition alters perception. What once would have been unthinkable becomes familiar. What should alarm, begins to register as expected. This is not how a healthy society responds to rising antisemitism—it is how it gradually adapts to it.
At the same time, those who speak out against antisemitism, violent extremism, and forms of radicalization—including Islamist, far left and far-right movements—are increasingly dismissed, caricatured, or painted as alarmists or purveyors of misinformation. Slowly a subliminal message is being sent, to belong don’t speak up. To Jews and allies, “erase your connection to your ancestral homeland or your identity” to be safe. This does not strengthen public discourse; it degrades it, narrowing the space for honest conversation at precisely the moment it is most needed.
Yes, antisemitic acts are rising. Yes, Jewish communities are more vulnerable. These are not abstract developments. They are part of a broader reality that extends beyond any single incident or geography
What is missing is not awareness, but sustained urgency. We are, in effect, validating the erosion of our values, as extremist currents are more easily absorbed. In some cases, rhetoric around Israel has been used in ways that go beyond legitimate political criticism and contribute to hostility, escalation, and in some cases violence. We have, as a society, often struggled to recognize how such rhetoric can evolve into dynamics that mobilize, harden, and sustain radicalization over time.
This is not a Jewish issue alone. It is a test of whether we are willing to defend our own values—or quietly accept their erosion as the cost of looking away.
This is how democracies weaken—not through rupture, but through habituation.
Responses are often emotional when what is required is sustained resolve. Security measures are necessary but on their own are insufficient. Government support, including the significant increase in the Canada Community Security Program, are welcome and help protect people. At the same time, we should not accept a future where some communities must build higher walls while hate and extremism go unchecked. We must also confront the sources of the serious threats we face before the danger escalates even further.
We would do well to look beyond our borders. In parts of Europe, antisemitism has re-emerged alongside polarization, declining trust in institutions, and the normalization of rhetoric once confined to the margins. By the time the warning signs were fully acknowledged, the problem had already become entrenched.
We are not immune. To prevent hate from metastasizing, we must act with urgency—through education, accountability, and frameworks that address the environments enabling these acts. This is a collective responsibility for governments and civil society, requiring sustained action rather than episodic reactions to crisis.
The Jewish community has long known that antisemitism is a warning signal; when it rises, other forms of intolerance are never far behind. What begins with one group rarely ends there. The stakes involve our shared values and our willingness to defend them while there is still time. This moment demands more than reaction; it demands foresight and courage.
If there is a place for hockey metaphors, it is this: while we hope for lucky bounces on the ice, we cannot gamble with hate. This is no moment for luck; it requires a disciplined defense and a strong goalie. Nothing can be allowed through the net.
Just as a crowd lifts a team, society must stand firmly against the normalization of hate. While those of us defending our common values are in the majority—playing the “power play”—our lack of commitment is causing us to concede too many shorthanded goals.
We must act while these trends are still reversible, before the game is lost.
