A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with the Dec. 18 arson attack on the Congregation Beth Tikvah Ahavat Shalom Nusach Hoari synagogue in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, which also targeted the nearby Federation satellite offices.
Mohamed Ilyess Akodad was arrested in Anjou in the east end of the city, by the Montreal police (SPVM) arson and explosives unit investigators who seized evidence at his residence.
The suspect appeared at the Montreal courthouse Wednesday afternoon, and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including arson, attempted arson, destruction of property and possession of incendiary material.
At around 3 a.m. on Dec. 18, 2024, police responded to 911 calls about a fire at the synagogue on Westpark Street, which is adjacent to a Jewish day school, and across the street from Federation’s west island location.
The first officers on scene doused the fire with a fire extinguisher and damage was minor. An incendiary object was found at the scene and police interviewed witnesses who reported seeing a suspect leave the premises after the fire had started.
Two windows of the Federation building across the street had also been smashed.
The attack stunned the community, particularly because it was the second such assault in a year. The synagogue and centre were also targeted by firebombs on Nov. 7, 2023, during the initial wave of antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. Back then, when the adjacent community centre was also attacked, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante condemned the “violent attack on a mosque” before her statement was corrected, her office blaming an inexperienced staffer who wrote and posted statements on behalf of the mayor.
“We have long called for law enforcement and public safety officials to use every possible tool to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the hate, intimidations and violence we see in our streets” Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Quebec vice-president Eta Yudin said on Wednesday afternoon. “We commend the work of the SPVM and the role of the FCJA Community Security Network on this file. Now, it is up to prosecutors to responsibly proceed with this case focused on maximizing its deterrent effect.”
It must be made clear that hateful targeting of the Jewish community has serious consequences said Yudin. “A message must be sent that enough is enough. The hateful motivations in these events are clear and must be reflected in sentencing. This is why we continue to advocate for training of special prosecutors to deal with instances of hate crimes and incidents.”
"La nouvelle d'aujourd'hui, selon laquelle un individu a été inculpé pour l'attentat à la bombe contre la synagogue Beth Tikvah et le campus de la @FederationCJA dans l'ouest de l'île en décembre dernier, est une nouvelle que nous attendions tous. Nous demandons depuis longtemps… https://t.co/oZnf5oMAQV
— Le CIJA (@CIJAQC) April 9, 2025
Federation CJA president Yair Szlak expressed gratitude “for the diligent work of Montreal police in this important investigation, culminating in today’s arrest. We will continue to liaise with our partners in law enforcement to learn more about their investigation as it evolves, while coordinating the overall security needs of our community.”
Szlak says measures taken by Federation CJA’s Community Security Network were instrumental in not only preventing greater damage, but also in providing tools and resources to law enforcement needed to further their investigation. “As Passover approaches, we remind community members to remain vigilant. If you see something, say something.”
Back in December after the second firebombing, Federation CJA put out a statement saying “Let’s not mince words: this is a stark reminder of what happens when politicians fail to call out antisemitism and prevent the escalation of violence on our streets. We call on Mayor Plante to act immediately to crack down on the unacceptable rise in antisemitism in Montreal. Our community is outraged and so should all Quebec citizens. We expect the authorities to treat this incident with the highest level of care and consider all likely motives. Enough is enough.”
B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director Henry Topas, who is also a cantor at Beth Tikvah, said “brazen attacks on our places of worship have left deep scars in Montreal’s Jewish community.
“An arrest is a relief, but antisemitism continues to escalate in Quebec and throughout the country. We hope that, at a later stage, the police decide to add hate crime charges.”
Last week, B’nai Brith Canada unveiled its Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents for 2024, and the December attack on Beth Tikvah was cited as “among the most appalling cases featured in the report.” In Quebec, 1,651 incidents were recorded in 2024, a 215 percent increase over the 523 incidents recorded the previous year.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, said Richard Robertson of B’nai Brith, “there has been a crisis of antisemitism in Canada. We are pleased that the Montreal police have done their due diligence on this arrest, but more must be done to restore Jewish Canadians’ sense of security and wellbeing.”
That second incident evoked expressions of disgust and condemnations from many quarters, from local residents to many politicians, including Israel’s foreign affairs minister Gideon Sa’ar:
I strongly condemn the anti-Semitic attack on Montréal’s Beit Tikvah synagogue. This surge in antisemitism must not be tolerated! This is the second(!) act of arson on Beit Tikvah – the first synagogue attacked after October 7th. I call on the Canadian authorities to take the…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 18, 2024
The CJN spoke with local resident Lissa Albert in December, who woke up to the news and was reminded that in April 2023 flags outside a Jewish day school were set on fire, and that this was the second bombing of the local synagogue. She told The CJN that walking up to Beth Tikvah that morning “felt like going to visit a shivah, to be with family.”
Hearing news of the arrest, Albert said she was happy that “it’s a loose end that is beginning to be tied up.”
Albert said she doesn’t have confidence that there will be a swift or just response from the courts. “I understand that they need solid evidence to make a case for hate crime charges, but for those of us in the Jewish community, there is no doubt that this was his motive. I hope I’m wrong in my thinking that his age will somehow negate the length of his sentence if he is even found guilty in court.”
Albert said should the suspect face a harsh sentence for his crimes, “we in the community—both in DDO and the Jewish community at large—can begin to feel like our fears are being met with the proper gravitas. Up until now, whether it’s been attacks on our institutions, invasions of our private and public properties, we’ve felt unheard. This arrest, followed by what I hope will be actual justice, can go a long way in assuring us that at some point, we can start to feel safe again.”
