Joint Statement on Bill C-9

THE COMBATTING HATE ACT IS A STEP FORWARD AND A CATALYST FOR STRONGER ENFORCEMENT

Ottawa, ON – June 18, 2026 – Following the adoption of Bill C-9, Combatting Hate Act, into law, seven community organizations—the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, B’nai Brith Canada, Canadian Women Against Antisemitism, the Canadian Jewish Law Association, the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center—issued this joint statement:

“Since the Hamas-led October 7 terrorist attacks, Jewish Canadians have faced an unprecedented surge in hate, intimidation, and violence. In response, our organizations, together with tens of thousands of community members, have called on governments to take meaningful action to confront Canada’s antisemitism crisis.

“The Combatting Hate Act is an important step forward, giving law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to protect targeted communities and hold offenders accountable. This includes:

• New intimidation and obstruction offences to protect access to places of worship and community institutions.
  
  
• A new hate crime offence ensuring stronger penalties when crimes are motivated by hatred.
  
  
• A new offence targeting the wilful promotion of hatred through public display of hate symbols and symbols of banned terrorist groups.
  
  
• An amended definition of hate aligned with the jurisprudence from the Supreme Court and respectful of free speech.

“Now that the Combatting Hate Act is law, it should serve as a catalyst for stronger enforcement of both new and existing laws. Too often, extremists have acted with impunity, or charges have been dropped after arrests are made. The federal government should urgently convene provincial and territorial attorneys general, together with law enforcement agencies, to establish a consistent national approach to enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing so that those who break the law are held accountable.

“It is also imperative for the government to create a new offence of wilful promotion of terrorism. The many recent examples of public displays of support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, Samidoun and other banned terrorist entities make it clear that Parliamentarians must strengthen Canada’s anti-terrorism laws as a matter of national security.”

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