Jews remain most targeted religious group for hate crime in Canada, second overall

Only 1% of Canada’s Population, Jews Targeted in 67% of Religiously Motivated Hate

OTTAWA, ON – August 2, 2023 – Statistics Canada has published their police-reported hate crime data for 2022 revealing, once again, that hate crimes targeting the Black and Jewish populations remained the most commonly reported to police, representing 23 and 14 percent of all hate crimes, respectively. Aligning with the trend of rising hate, which saw the overall number of police-reported hate crimes increase by seven percent, both population groups saw disproportionate increases compared to other groups identified by race, ethnicity, or religion.

Antisemitism is on the rise around the world, and Canada is not immune. Alarmingly, while religiously motivated hate crimes in Canada declined overall, Jew-hatred was the only religious category to experience an increase in incidents. Although only one percent of Canada’s population, the Jewish community was targeted in 14 percent of all reported hate crimes.

Key figures pertaining to the Jewish community:

• In 2022, the Jewish community was targeted in 502 reported hate crime incidents. Of the 3,576 total reported incidents, 750 hate crimes were motivated by religion.
• The Jewish community was the most targeted religious minority, accounting for 67 percent of religiously motivated hate.
• In Canada, according to Statistics Canada, on average, more than one hate incident targeted Canada’s Jewish community every day in 2022. Religiously motivated hate crimes are down year-over-year by 15 percent but hate crime targeting the Jewish community increased 2 percent between 2021 and 2022.
• Anti-Jewish hate crime has increased 52 percent since 2020.

In response to the report, Shimon Koffler Fogel, President and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), released the following comment:

“Incidents of hate based on race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation have continued increasing year over year; this disturbing trend proves the need for proactive measures to stop the rising hate targeting diverse Canadians based on their identity.

“Antisemitism isn’t just a real and present threat today, it’s a problem growing at a frightening rate. In Canada alone, anti-Jewish hate crime has increased 52 percent since 2020. That’s why we have a big choice to make about antisemitism – ignore its impact and walk away or come together to push back against it.   

“CIJA has undertaken two major initiatives in the fight against hate this year: becoming a founding member and Canada’s representative on the newly formed J7, The Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism among major Jewish organizations from seven of the world’s largest diaspora communities; and co-creating the two-day Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It conference taking place in Ottawa this fall. It will be the largest gathering of Jewish Canadians, community allies, elected officials, and ethnic and faith partners in years. They will be mobilized to unite, empower, and educate our community about how we can take action, both collectively and as individuals, against antisemitism.

“But Canadian Jews cannot conquer antisemitism on our own. It is the responsibility of each of us to combat hatred and antisemitism. We must all be change-makers, united as allies and partners to fight all hate.

“This report of hate-crime data should be a call to action for all Canadians to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate. Like the Jewish community, many racialized and minority communities experience hate regularly, and its impact has devastating effects not only on those targeted but also on the very fabric of our society and the values we share.”

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• Statistics Canada: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2022
• Press Release: Top Jewish Advocacy Organizations Form J7 Global Task Force to Fight Antisemitism
• Press Release: 2021 Jews Remain Most Targeted Religious Group for Hate Crime in Canada
• Press Release: 2020 Hate Crime Data Reveals Jews Most Targeted Religious Group
• Not all hate crimes or incidents of antisemitism are reported or recorded. Not all incidents meet the threshold of a crime, especially in schools, so national hate-crime statistics do not accurately reflect the total number of antisemitic incidents.
• CIJA policy asks:
  • Fight online hate and radicalization
  • Close the legal gap on hate speech
  • Antisemitism and Holocaust education
  • Protect the Jewish community
  • Launch the Community Security Trust to improve SIP program