Days after a shooting outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville on the eve of Yom Kippur, B’nai Brith Canada said Friday that neo-Nazi propaganda was distributed around the city, including outside the synagogue, on Thursday morning.
According to the organization, flyers found at the synagogue and elsewhere in Belleville contained antisemitic conspiracy theories and white supremacist messaging. B’nai Brith said the material was believed to be influenced by, associated with, and distributed by the Goyim Defense League (GDL), a US-based neo-Nazi group.
“The targeting of this synagogue, which is still reeling from the trauma of the attack during Yom Kippur, is a cowardly attempt to intimidate, terrorize, and taunt the Jewish community," said Simon Wolle, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “There must be zero tolerance for those who seek to further target and endanger Jewish Canadians."
B’nai Brith said its research indicates that the GDL has been active in Canada since at least 2023. In July, police in Orillia, Ontario, arrested a teenager accused of distributing similar material and participating in the group’s online activities. The organization also pointed to a 2023 campaign in Peterborough involving the distribution of GDL material.
B’nai Brith noted that one conspiracy theory promoted on the GDL website claims Jewish people were responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Several news organizations have reported that the Belleville shooter had expressed a similar belief in social media posts before the Yom Kippur attack.
“We have, as a society, failed to combat the spread of hateful and extreme ideologies," Wolle said. “Canadians must ask how we have devolved to the point where hatemongers feel emboldened to mock and taunt people who survived a near-tragedy."
B’nai Brith said it warned the federal government during 2025 about the GDL’s growing influence in Canada.
“The threat the GDL poses to Canadian society can no longer be ignored," said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “We are calling on law enforcement at all levels to investigate the GDL and take the necessary action to protect Canadians from its hateful, extremist ideology."
“The attacks against the community in Belleville demonstrate that online hate - which accounts for more than 90 per cent of hate-motivated behaviour B’nai Brith tracks in its Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents - does not remain in cyberspace."
“It is emerging from the shadows and resulting in real-world harm. We have said time and again that hateful language often escalates into hateful actions. One need only look at the Belleville attack to see that," said Robertson.
Police have described the shooting outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue, where members of the Jewish community had gathered for Kol Nidre prayers, as a “premeditated and targeted" attack against the Jewish community.
Police released footage showing 29-year-old Sean Ward firing outside the synagogue. During the confrontation, Ward was heard asking Const. Jeff Smith, who intervened at the scene, “You are going to die for the Jews?"
Ward, who left the Canadian military in 2022, was armed with a shotgun when he confronted Smith, who had arrived in a police truck. Smith was injured in the incident and is expected to undergo several surgeries during a lengthy recovery. Ward suffered life-threatening injuries and later died in hospital.
The Belleville shooting was followed by another antisemitic incident in Ontario. Less than a week later, police in Kitchener arrested and charged a 33-year-old man after investigating an online livestream containing threats and antisemitic remarks targeting members of the Jewish community.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)