Jewish Canadians and their organizations expressed fear for their safety amid a rise in antisemitic violence all across Canada. The violence and hate activity have increased since the attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7. In response, Israel took military action in Gaza with the goal of stopping Hamas terrorism in the region. Canadian politicians and leaders have condemned the ongoing acts of violence against the Jewish community. On Nov. 9 Two Jewish schools in Montreal were hit by house overnight, though thankfully nobody was injured in this attacks.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, took to Twitter to respond to these recent attacks, calling them horrifying. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the attacks and urged the federal government to collaborate with law enforcement and the Jewish community to ensure everyone’s safety. A video of students clashing on social media on November 8 appeared to show pro-Palestinian protestors shouting obscenities at pro-Israeli students, which the University president, Graham Carr, condemned.
On November 7, a synagogue and Jewish community centre were firebombed in Montreal. In addition to this act of violence, on November 3, Rabbi Idan Scher reported receiving a harassing phone call. Despite the threatening nature of the call, the Ottawa police arrested a man in connection with the crime. The Rabbi encouraged other victims to report hate crimes. Pro-Palestinian protestors have organized rallies and protests across Canada, gathering in front of Toronto and Montreal businesses and even preventing MPs from entering Parliament in Ottawa. Since the attack by Hamas on Israel, these events have occurred and have disrupted local communities.