The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday criticized the government of Canada for its failure to properly protect the Jewish community, amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in the country.
“How come Jews make up less than 1% of Canada’s population, yet suffer 70% of its religious hate crimes?" the Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on social media.
“In 2025 alone, Canada recorded 6,800 antisemitic incidents. That's 20 a day! And while the incidents keep adding up, the incitement continues."
“Canada’s government has failed to protect its Jewish community. The time to ban incitement is now," the Foreign Ministry said.
The post comes as the Greater Toronto Area, in particular, has seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in recent weeks.
On Friday, Toronto authorities apprehended and charged an 18-year-old man in connection with a series of disturbing attacks involving replica firearms aimed at the city’s Jewish residents.
The most recent incident occurred at approximately 10:49 p.m. on Thursday night outside the Chasidei Bobov synagogue, located in the vicinity of Bathurst Street and Highway 401 in North York. Three individuals standing in front of the building were targeted by gunfire originating from a passing vehicle. One person was struck by a projectile from a pellet gun, resulting in minor injuries.
Investigators also allege that the same 18-year-old suspect was responsible for a drive-by attack the previous week in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in the Bathurst and Lawrence area, south of where Thursday’s incident took place.
Last Wednesday, York Regional Police publicized the arrest of an 18-year-old male linked to separate shooting incidents at synagogues in Vaughan and Toronto on March 6, where live ammunition was fired into the structures.
Days before the March 6 shootings, gunfire struck Temple Emanu-El in North York, as members of the congregation were marking the Jewish holiday of Purim. There were no injuries but the building was damaged.
In late April, a male suspect attempted to force his way into an Orthodox synagogue in Thornhill, just north of Toronto, and assaulted a victim before fleeing the scene.
A day later, a rock was hurled at the window of Aleph Bet Judaica, a Judaica shop in the city, marking the third time this particular store has been attacked.