After attacks on Jewish sites, Government of Canada announces National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism

CIJA Says Forum Must Lead to Urgent Action, Not Idle Talk 

Ottawa, ON – December 20, 2024 – Today, the Government of Canada announced it is launching a National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism. The Forum will bring together key officials from all three levels of government, the judicial system, law enforcement, and representatives of the Jewish community to tackle these growing threats to Canadian society.  

In response, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) called on leaders and authorities to seize the Forum as an opportunity to drive urgently needed change. CIJA warned that the Forum’s ultimate value will be determined only by the concrete results that come from it.

“In the past few days alone, a synagogue in Montreal was targeted for arson and a Jewish girls school in Toronto was struck by gunfire. These are just the latest examples of an escalating threat we're seeing across Canada. The safety of our community is under attack—and so too are the values and way of life that define us as Canadians,” said Richard Marceau, CIJA’s Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel.

“In a matter of months, Canada has become a country in which masked thugs take over our streets to burn Canadian flags, salute Hitler, celebrate terrorists, and call for violence. The result? Hate crimes against Jewish Canadians have skyrocketed. Jewish schools and synagogues have been targeted for gunfire. And multiple Canadians have been arrested for plotting mass murders against Jews.”  

In the wake of antisemitic rhetoric and rioting in Montreal in November, CIJA called for the Government of Canada to convene a national forum as a springboard for meaningful action to protect Canadians. The outburst of violent chaos in Montreal, emerging from anti-Israel and anti-NATO protests, included masked extremists smashing buildings with hammers and burning cars, as well as calls for the genocide of Jews. Since then, multiple serious crimes targeting Jewish institutions have taken place in Canadian cities.

“Our community is frightened—but we’re also determined. And we urge governments and authorities at all three levels to share that determination by taking real action against what has become a ticking time bomb in our country,” said Marceau.

“Police need more resources and specialized training. Laws need to be enforced, charges need to be laid, and perpetrators must be fully prosecuted to end the domination of our streets by extremists. And the glorification of terrorism must finally be made a criminal offence in this country. Through the Forum, we will push for these and other concrete measures—but what we won’t accept are photo ops and platitudes. Action to protect our community and all Canadians is long overdue.” 

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Additional Background

• Press Release: The government must act now to stop the scourge of antisemitism
• Press Conference: Jewish Group Reacts to Montreal Protest, Calls for National Forum on Combatting Hate Crimes, Terrorism, and Antisemitism – November 25, 2024
• Press Release: Jewish community victimized in 70% of all religion-motivated hate crimes in Canada
• Statistics Canada: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2023

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