A Toronto man convicted of making violent antisemitic threats against the city’s Jewish community has been sentenced to 60 days of house arrest, followed by three years of probation, a 10-year weapons ban, and mandatory antisemitism education, the Canadian Jewish News (CJN) reported.
He is also prohibited from attending Jewish community events or approaching any Jewish institutions.
The sentence, handed down by Justice Edward Prutschi on July 28, was met with criticism from at least one Jewish organization, which described it as insufficient given the gravity of the threats.
Waissudin Akbari made the remarks on March 4, 2024, during a conversation with a car dealership employee whom he mistakenly believed would support his intentions. According to court records, Akbari told the salesperson that he planned to “plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto and blow them up to kill as many Jews as possible.”
Following the report to police, authorities launched an investigation and found no evidence that Akbari had taken steps to carry out his threats. Nevertheless, Justice Prutschi emphasized that such statements cannot be dismissed as harmless.
“Mr. Akbari’s guilt is based on empty threats he communicated to a stranger,” the judge said, according to CJN. “But hate-based threats are not just words. They are the gasoline upon which even more serious offenses burn.”
Referencing recent data from local police, the judge noted that Jews remain the most targeted group in hate-related incidents in both York Region and Toronto - figures that underline the deep impact of Akbari’s threats on the broader Jewish community.
The court also heard from five Jewish organizations - including B’nai Brith Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center - whose victim impact statements highlighted a climate of increasing antisemitic violence and intimidation.
Although the judge acknowledged mitigating factors - such as Akbari’s traumatic upbringing in Afghanistan, his long residence in Canada, and letters of support from his community - he stated that a jail sentence would typically be warranted given the extremity of the offense.
“The threat to bomb Toronto synagogues, killing ‘as many Jews as possible,’ places this offense near the extreme end of the spectrum,” Prutschi said. However, due to the lack of follow-through, Akbari’s compliance with bail conditions, and indications of remorse, the judge opted for a conditional sentence to be served under strict supervision in the community.
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center expressed disappointment with the outcome.
“It’s because of Akbari and those like him that Jewish Canadians don’t feel safe,” said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, the Center’s policy director. “This minimal sentence fails to reflect the severity of the threat made against the Jewish community. It sends an alarming message that threats to slaughter Jews and bomb synagogues may be met with leniency.”
Toronto has seen an uptick in anti-Israel incidents since the start of the war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
In March, Toronto Police charged a local man with 29 offenses, including multiple hate crimes, in connection with a surge of antisemitic attacks and threats against the city’s Jewish community.
Data released by the Toronto Police Service in May found that the city experienced a historic high in reported hate crime incidents in 2024, with the Jewish community, once again, being the leading target.
Also in May, Toronto Police announced an arrest in connection with a series of suspected hate-motivated threats targeting the Israeli community.
The arrest came after multiple alarming social media posts surfaced between Wednesday, May 21, 2025, and Saturday, May 24, 2025, explicitly threatening harm. Basel Al-Sukhon, 26, of Toronto, was taken into custody and charged with uttering threats and indecent communications.