Jewish students at Canadian universities say there’s a new level of worry on campus
Jewish students and academic communities at some of Canada’s top universities say there’s a new level of worry about being on campus following the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. While many larger university campuses, and especially student unions and other student-led bodies, have long fostered anti-Israel rhetoric and events, this time feels different […]
Deborah Lyons to replace Irwin Cotler as Canada’s special envoy on antisemitism and Holocaust remembrance
Deborah Lyons has been named the new Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, succeeding international human rights champion Irwin Cotler. The announcement was made Oct. 16 by Karina Gould, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, together with Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of […]
Ottawa’s national conference on antisemitism has a new focus after Hamas attacks in Israel
Before war was declared between Israel and Hamas, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) was busy planning a national conference on antisemitism in Canada. The advocacy group is still planning to hold the conference on Oct. 16-17, but now it will have a new focus because of the fighting—and the potential repercussions for […]
An old Manitoba law created in response to a 1930s newspaper could open up ways to fight antisemitic speech in the 2020s
Could a long-forgotten Manitoba law be a model for how Canadians can fight back against antisemitism and hate of all kinds? Kenneth Grad thinks it can. Grad, 40, is a Toronto lawyer completing his PhD at Osgoode Hall Law School. During his dissertation research in Winnipeg, he learned about the Hyman Act, an anti-defamation law […]
A judge in Montreal decides three months of jail time is less than this Jew-hater deserves—and he found the apology ‘opportunistic’
A Quebec judge said the three-month jail term for a Montreal man convicted of promoting hatred against Jews online recommended by the prosecution and the defense is too lenient. Quebec Court Justice Manlio Del Negro said at the sentencing hearing for Gabriel Sohier Chaput on July 12 that he is not convinced of the sincerity […]
A soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces was disciplined for his antisemitic comments—and a retired major-general calls the case a ‘positive’ step
The decision to bring a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces to court martial for making antisemitic comments while leading an infantry training course, should be viewed as a “very positive,” development, says Major-General (Retired) Ed Fitch. “I was trying to remember, if I had ever in 50 years, seen a case of antisemitism actually […]
A brazen Israeli flag burning outside a Jewish school has shocked the Montreal community
Montreal Police announced they have arrested a 16-year-old suspect in relation to the removal and burning of Israeli flags that were hanging outside a Jewish day school on April 26, Yom ha-Atzmaut. Police had said the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. One young man was seen clearly in a 34-second online video […]
Suspect turns himself in to Montreal police in connection with assaults on two Hasidic men
The suspect in assaults on two Hasidic men in Montreal this winter turned himself in on April 20, a day after police released a photo of his face and video of the alleged incident. The minor is accused of attacking the two men the evening of Jan. 20 on the street in Outremont, home of […]
Tariq Khan, a member of Alberta’s new multicultural council, resigns after a history of antisemitic posts are revealed
Three days after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled an advisory council on multiculturalism, a member has resigned after the opposition party revealed his history of antisemitic social media posts, including Holocaust denial. Smith announced the 30-member Premier’s Council on Multiculturalism on April 14, co-chaired by court interpreter Sumita Anand and University of Alberta women’s studies […]
B’nai Brith Canada’s annual audit finds that antisemitic incidents remained near record high levels in 2022 due to increasing reports of online hate
The number of antisemitic events recorded in Canada in 2022 dropped by an “almost insignificant” one percent from the previous year—but the situation is still disturbing, representatives of B’nai Brith Canada said at the release of the organization’s Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents on April 17. B’nai Brith documented 2,769 incidents, compared with 2,799 in […]
