Anti-Israel protests in Canada
File showing anti-Israel demonstrators during the August 2024 protest in Toronto (Video: Reuters via Anadoru Agency.)
Anti-Semitism in Canada exploded in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre, reaching record numbers last year and became a central issue for the country’s Jewish community ahead of the April 28 federal election.
Last week, Conservative leader Pierre Poillièvre, the main challenger of Prime Minister Mark Carney, claimed he had vowed to “march of hatred” and to take the swearing out Canadian anti-Semitic foreigners.
“Targeting synagogues and Jewish schools with the rampaging confusion, hatred, vandalism, violence, fire bombing that we see in the city…those were unprecedented a decade ago,” Poilierbre said.
He also had warnings to foreign agitators. “Anyone on a visitor visa that carries out a violation of the law will be deported from this country,” Polyebre said.
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On December 18, 2024, a man corrects the door lock to the Beth Tikva congregation when investigating arson at a synagogue outside of Drado des Ormie in Montreal. (Canadian media via Christinne Muschi/AP)
“To the Canadian Jewish community,” Poilliebre added. “You are not alone, you have a friend. The Canadians are standing with you. You have the right to wear your Kippa, Kippa’s star and put your Mezuza at your door.
On Friday, Poilierbre shared on X that the Montreal Jewish Community Council is seeking Jewish voters to support him. In the video, Rabbi Saul Emanuel, executive director of the group, referred to Poilievre’s support for the community, saying, “Now we can make a difference who was standing with us when it mattered most.”
Emmanuel noted that Jewish voters can play a critical role in 14 Canadian districts. “Our votes are important, our voices are important, so I’m proud to support Pierre Poilierble and I encourage you to do the same,” he said.
Carney also uses social media to denounce anti-Semitism. In a tweet hoping for a happy Passover for Jewish Canadians, he condemned the growing incident, saying, “Together we must confront and condemn the rising tide of anti-Semitism and the threats pose to Jewish lives and safety in communities across Canada.”
Anti-Israel protesters will gather outside Beth Abraham Joseph of the Toronto Synagogue, which will host the “Israel Real Estate Event” in Thornhill, north of Toronto, Ontario, on March 7, 2024. Thornhill is a hub for a large Jewish population. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
But despite his strong words of anti-Semitism, Carney has recently faced criticism following a campaign rally in Calgary. There, someone cried out to the liberal leaders, “There’s a genocide that’s occurring in Palestine.”
“I know,” replied Carney. “That’s why we have an arms embargo (in Israel).”
The following day, Carney, who replaced longtime Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March, claimed that he had not heard the anti-Israel demonstrator correctly.
His lining did not stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the fight. He told X: “Canada has always been on the side of civilization, too, Mr. Carney.
“But instead of supporting Israel, he is a democracy fighting a fair war with just means against the wild bars in Hamas, and attacks the only Jewish state,” Netanyahu posted.
According to an annual audit released this month by B’Nai Brith Canada, the total number of reported Jewish hatred in the country reached 6,219 in 2024, up 7.4% in 2023, the highest increase since the 1982 survey.
The anti-Semitism incident in Canada has skyrocketed 124.6% since 2022.
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Mark Carney was criticized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his comments made at last week’s campaign rally. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)
“For the past 18 months, new baselines have been established due to anti-Semitism in Canada, and have had a detrimental impact on Jewish lives,” Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada, told Fox News Digital. “We see an increase in certain forms of anti-Semitism, particularly anti-Zionism.”
“Anti-Semitism has become mainstream, normalized, normalized, justified, justified, justified, justified, liberal party’s former justice minister and Canadian Attorney General,” Irwin Kotler, told Fox News Digital.
“Whatever party is elected, I hope we will see deliverables in combating certain hate crimes, hate speeches, harassment, assault, vandalism and everything reported in the (b’nai Brith) annual report. From my experience, even those statistics have not underreported true stories.”
Canadian conservative leader Pierre Poilierble condemned anti-Semitic violence and incidents in Canada and has promised to act if elected as prime minister of the country. (Canadian media via Justintan/AP)
“Democratic communities must act as the security of our collective freedom is at stake,” Kotler warned.
Iddo Moed, Canada’s ambassador to Israel, told Fox News Digital that many local Jews “feel vulnerable, unsafe and unprotected by the law enforcement, government and education systems that stood when anti-Semitism reached crisis levels.”
He pointed out that Israel, the Jewish homeland, has an obligation to act when diaspora Jews are in pain.
“Equipping teachers with resources to teach about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust is essential for future generations to understand the dangers of hatred and continue to accept peace, tolerance and equality,” he added.
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Police surveillance sign outside the Montreal Torah Centre in Hampstead, Quebec, Canada, November 14th, 2023. (Alexis Aubin/AFP via Getty Images)
The anti-Semitism investigation highlighted numerous incidents in which Quebec Daily LaPres published manga depicting Netanyahu as Nosferatu. Nosferatz is a vampire related to the Jews of Naziera propaganda and a prohama protester at the University of Toronto, and should scream that Jewish students have killed you.
In May, the arsonists lit a fire at the entrance to the Shara Zededek Synagogue in Vancouver, as prayers concluded. The same month, a shot was fired at Vice Chaya Mushuka Girls School in Toronto, and the school was then targeted twice more by gunfire. In August, the threat of bombs affected Jewish institutions around the country. In December, it attacked the Beth Tikva congregation in Montreal, the second time since October 7, 2023.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog then called on the Canadian government to take action to “push out” anti-Semitism.
“The world has to wake up. The words are not enough. The synagogues were burned. The Jews were attacked. They will never again,” he said.
Anthony’s House Father is a member of parliament in the House of Representatives of Mount Royal, a Jewish area held by liberals since 1940.
Anti-Israel protesters held signs of anti-Semitism in Alberta, Canada, on April 13, 2025. (Artur widak/nurphoto via AP)
“The incredible number (of anti-Semitism cases) makes clear why governments at all levels of the country need to work together to implement all the recommendations listed in the Judiciary Committee report last December and the commitments made at the National Summit on Anti-Semitism in March.”
Widely panned for failing to properly address the anti-Semitic groundwell, Trudeau announced the summit within hours of Herzog’s denunciation.
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Neil Oberman, a Conservative candidate running against the House of Representatives, told Fox News Digital that “personal safety and security are becoming a serious issue” at Mount Royal.
“This is a crucial reminder of the urgent need for the federal government, consisting of adults building up papers for the summit and position and carrying out actions, rather than blaming everyone else to hate and protect everyone else,” Oberman said.
