How the Canadian Government Should Have Responded to Combat Antisemitism

Antisemitism has been rampant in Canada since October 7, 2023.

In 2025, B’nai Brith Canada documented 6,800 incidents of antisemitism, which is by far the highest volume of antisemitic incidents ever recorded.

Marc Carney, who has been the Prime Minister of Canada for about 15 months, finally decided to address the antisemitism that has plagued Canada’s Jewish community at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto last week. This address by the Prime Minster was months too late.

Given the importance of this issue, he should have delivered this statement in front of parliament in the House of Commons.

His speech should have started off with an apology to all Jewish Canadians on behalf of the Government of Canada for failing to address the rise of hatred against Jewish Canadians.

His speech should have focused exclusively on antisemitism. While hatred against any group or minority is wrong and should be condemned, his speech should have focused on Jewish Canadians who have been targeted disproportionately in Canada in the last several years.

The Prime Minister appropriately noted the scale of antisemitism in Canada in the last few years. “Across our country, antisemitism has surged to levels not seen in the post-war period.” He then proceeded to name multiple examples of hatred and violence against Jews in Canada.

However, he did not mention the word Zionism or make any reference to Israel in his speech.

Even Canada’s former Prime Minster Justin Trudeau stated in early 2025: “The term Zionist increasingly being tossed around as a pejorative, in spite of the fact that it simply means believing the right of the Jewish people, like all people, to determine their own future, is not normal.”

Mr. Carney said, “In Canada, the visibility of our difference is the substance of our mutual respect.”

In Canada today, Jewish institutions and neighborhoods throughout the country are routinely guarded by private security and the police. Locations of Jewish events are held secret until the last minute to avoid protestors. In the last few years, Jewish people have become accustomed to having police command centers set up in their school parking lots, outside their shopping areas and in their neighborhoods. In my personal experience, I have never seen security guards or the police patrol outside of a church in this country. Jewish institutions have been turned into armed fortresses. I do not think that this is a sign of “our mutual respect”. The additional $75 million in funding through the Canada Community Security Program in which Mr. Carney spoke of had already been announced in April of this year. This extra money is for all communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents, and it seems unlikely that it will be enough to fund the protection of Jewish institutions.

Mr. Carney stated, “The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, its severe, and it demands a targeted response. And that is what our government is fully committed too.”

Despite the epidemic of antisemitism in Canada, Mr. Carney dissolved Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism earlier this year. He revealed a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion, which had already been announced earlier this year in February. Let me emphasize again that hatred against any group or minority should be condemned, but in Canada today, Jewish citizens are experiencing the brunt of the hatred. According to the annual hate crime statistics from the Toronto Police Services, 82% of religion-motivated hate crimes targeted Jewish citizens in Toronto in 2025. However, Jewish residents only represent 3-4% of Torontonians.

This new Advisory Council is going to be assessing the scale and collecting data and performing research on antisemitism in Canada. The data is clear and more study is not needed. Action is needed. The Council has eight members and only one is Jewish. One member of the council is Omar Alghabra. As the leader of the Official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, stated the other day, “Well I remember Mr. Alghabra lobbying me, before he was in politics, to keep Hezbollah legal. So, I’m not sure he is the right guy to combat antisemitism.” Another member of the council, Avnish Nanda, represented individuals from the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Alberta. I echo Melissa Lantsman, Conservative Member of Parliament for Thornhill, who stated in the House of Commons the other day “Jewish Canadians are being attacked on the streets and they’re giving the keys to the very people that fuelled the crisis. And I have one question for the Prime Minister. Is he serious?”

In his speech, Mr. Carney should have clearly outlined his plan to tackle antisemitism in Canada.

He should have immediately reinstated Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism and appointed an expert on antisemitism to fill this post.

He should have committed the government to fully funding security for synagogues, Jewish day schools and other Jewish institutions in this country for as long as it is required.

He should have stated that anti-Zionism is the repackaged form of anti-Jewish hatred.

He should have highlighted the special and long-standing friendship between Israel and Canada.

He should have condemned phrases such as “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” as hateful and antisemitic statements.

He should have instructed CSIS, the RCMP and major Canada police forces to enforce the laws of this country to protect Jewish Canadians. What good are new laws if the laws that we have in the country are used sparingly?

He should have directed the Attorney General of Canada and Crown attorneys to fully prosecute antiemetic hate crimes.

He should have spoken to the Presidents of the Canadian Universities and major public sector unions to inform them that the antisemitic tolerance in full display at Canadian universities and unions will no longer go unpunished.

While this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, it could have been a start.

Mr. Carney spoke about the strength of diversity of Canadians and said that “everyone can be their whole selves in Canada.” However, this covenant amongst Canadians that Mr. Carney spoke of frequently is clearly broken.

In the last few days, a man attempted to commit an arson attack at a synagogue in Montreal, swastikas were found outside a Jewish family home in Ottawa, and another synagogue was vandalized in Toronto. Mr. Carney, after your speech last week, Jewish Canadians are still waiting for the “targeted response” of your government’s plan to combat the epidemic of antisemitism in Canada.