Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday issued a statement condemning the terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration.
Carney said he was “horrified by the antisemitic terror attack” and added, “Canada stands with the people of Australia and Jewish people everywhere in sorrow, and determination never to bow to terrorism, violence, hatred and intimidation.”
“Hanukkah is a time of light amidst the darkness, and a remembrance of the resilience of the Jewish people. May we all support and strengthen that resilience to protect our Jewish communities and to ensure more fundamentally that all people can thrive in every aspect of our society,” said the Canadian Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw also condemned the attack in Sydney and added that the police will increase their presence around the city’s Jewish community during Hanukkah.
“While there is no nexus to Toronto, the Toronto Police have deployed a whole-of-service approach to increase police presence and visibility to Toronto’s Jewish communities including at schools, places of worship, events today and throughout the holidays,” he said.
Toronto continues to deal with a sharp rise in incidents of antisemitism since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel and the war in Gaza which followed.
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.
Just last week, approximately 20 mezuzahs were stolen from the doorways of a seniors’ housing building in north Toronto. Toronto Police confirmed the incident, noting that its hate crimes unit is investigating.