On Saturday morning, we awoke to devastating news of two more synagogues targeted in shooting attacks. Since then, news of synagogues around the world being targeted have shaken us. While this escalation is shocking, it is not surprising.
For years, CIJA has advocated for governments to take action on the surge of violence and intimidation our community is facing. As I said on the steps of Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in Toronto on Sunday, not enough has been done over the last few years to prevent us from getting to this point. We need meaningful and urgent action to stop things from going any further.
Standing with us, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, very clearly said: “An attack on a synagogue is an attack on Canada.” He also said, “we have work to do,” and that the federal government will improve the Canada Community Security Program to support Jewish institutions.
Yesterday, the Government of Canada announced an immediate $10 million investment to enhance Jewish community security, an important step forward in fulfilling this commitment.
These funds are critical for bolstering our immediate security needs, but the resources must match the escalating demands to keep our people safe.
We are continuing to urge the government to move swiftly to improve and significantly enhance funding for the Canada Community Security Program – a program that provides life-saving security measures and tools for our synagogues, schools, camps, community centres, and other institutions.
At the same time, we must not only focus on fortifying our community. The threats we face must be addressed at their root, using every tool available. This starts with enforcing current laws with consistency and ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.
It also means advancing new legislation, including the Combatting Hate Act and the criminalization of wilful promotion of terrorism, among other measures to protect Canadians from extremism and radicalization to violence.
Yesterday’s announcement could not have happened without the relentless community advocacy we have seen across the country and the tremendous strength and resiliency of our Canadian Jewish community.
By raising your voices through our Action Hub, leveraging the expertise of our community security agencies, and drawing on the strength and support of Jewish Federations across the country, we can make Canada safer.
Tomorrow at noon, we will convene a national community security briefing with senior officials from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canada Border Services Agency to review the latest updates and answer the community’s questions.
