In light of a severe surge in antisemitic incidents occurring in less than a week - including shootings directed at the Temple Emanu-El synagogue in North York, Beth Avraham Yoseph in Thornhill, and Shaarei Shomayim in North York - Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli sent an urgent letter this week to the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney.
In his letter, Minister Chikli stated: "Regrettably, the developments of recent days show that the concerns raised in the past were not theoretical. The warning signs were clear, and the current situation underscores the urgency of addressing the growing threats facing Jewish communities."
Following these events, which represent a direct attempt to intimidate the Jewish community, local police have launched an investigation by hate crime units. Simultaneously, security patrols have been bolstered around Jewish institutions and houses of worship in the area. According to data from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Canadian Jews remain the most targeted religious group for police-reported hate crimes in the country. In 2024, 920 hate-motivated incidents against Jews were recorded, the highest number for any religious community, even though Canadian Jews represent only about 1% of the population.
Minister Chikli: "Three shooting incidents at Jewish community institutions in Toronto occurred this past week. These acts of terror are a continuation of a series of antisemitic events over the past two years, despite warnings conveyed to Canadian government officials. A Canadian Jew is 25 times more likely to be a victim of a hate crime than the average Canadian. I have dispatched an urgent letter today to the Prime Minister of Canada demanding that every necessary step be taken to protect the Jewish community and to act for the arrest of these terrorists. The Canadian government must wake up, and fast."
Diaspora Affairs Ministry Director-General Avi Cohen-Scali: "The events in Canada over the last two weeks are acts of terror in every sense, and they must be treated as such. If the Canadian government does not wake up, a greater disaster will occur; the writing has been on the wall for two years, and it is only getting redder. Canadian authorities must take significant steps to increase protection for Jewish institutions."