The federal government has affirmed its commitment to addressing hate crimes that target the Jewish community.
On March 6, the federal government held a National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism in Ottawa. The event was hosted by Public Safety Canada, the agency responsible for public safety and national security.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an appearance at the forum, in one of his final presentations in that position. “I only have a few days left in this job,” he said. “But I chose to be here today.”
Trudeau said the warning lights about antisemitism “are flashing red.”
“What we, what you, are experiencing is not normal,” he said, acknowledging the “explosive rise of antisemitism” since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
“When it comes to the safety of Jewish Canadians, we [the Government of Canada] are on the same page,” he added.
The forum brought together representatives from federal, provincial and municipal governments, along with representatives from law enforcement agencies and the Canadian Jewish community.
The goal of the forum was to discuss ways to effectively combat antisemitism, which has increased greatly since Hamas’ attack on Israel.
In 2023, there were nearly 1,300 police-reported hate crimes targeted at people or institutions because of their religion — a 70 per cent increase from 2022. More than two-thirds of those crimes were directed at Jewish people or organizations, according to Statistics Canada data.
At the forum, the federal government announced a host of specific actions it is taking to address antisemitism. These include developing a national strategy to combat antisemitism; providing up to $10 million in immediate new funding to help grassroots organizations address hate; investing nearly $27 million over four years to provide training on hate crimes; and working with Statistics Canada to better recognize and report on the existence of hate crimes.
Additionally, the government said it will explore amending the Criminal Code to strengthen tools for law enforcement to address hate crimes. This would include acts such as attacks on religious and cultural buildings, extreme forms of hate speech and the display of terror symbols.
Noah Shack, interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), says the forum was appreciated. The centre is an advocacy organization that represents 150,000 Jewish Canadians.
“It was important for representatives of all levels of government, law enforcement and Crown prosecutors to come together to focus on the explosion of antisemitism that has targeted our community since October 7,” he said.
Shack also said the forum was overdue.
“But this should have happened a year ago,” he said. “It is essential that concrete, tangible action flow from this forum.”
Gustavo Zentner, the centre’s representative in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, says the forum was important because of the unprecedented level of antisemitism in Canada.
“This isn’t an issue that is exclusively for Jews to solve alone,” he said. “It will require all levels of government, law enforcement and all Canadians working in a coordinated manner . . . we need a cohesive national approach.”
Trudeau made a similar observation in his remarks, noting, “Everyone has a role in addressing antisemitism. It is incumbent on every single Canadian to speak out against antisemitism, to stop its spread, to take the deadly threat seriously.”
Ben Carr, the Liberal member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, says the forum provided a way to “collectively generate concrete measures” to combat antisemitism.
Noting that there will be a federal election this year, Carr — who is Jewish — said a new government could always reevaluate decisions made by the previous government.
If there is a change in government, “I am confident there will be a wholesale understanding of how serious the issue of antisemitism is, and how important it is to support the means to fight it,” he said.
B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish service organization and advocacy group, recorded nearly 6,000 antisemitic incidents in 2023 — the worst year ever recorded by the organization.
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