This Week in Canadian Jewish Advocacy, February 25, 2024

CIJA

|February 25, 2024

This week, we worked with a national media outlet to help spread the message of growing levels of antisemitism since October 7, and we are working with the government to help victims of hate crime sue civilly for damages.

Read on to learn more.

CIJA

CIJA President and CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel, and Nico Slobinsky, CIJA Vice President, Pacific Region, were among many representatives of Canada’s Jewish community who spoke with Global News National for an investigative report, based on documents, interviews, and figures compiled from police forces, demonstrating the dramatic surge of antisemitism across Canada that followed the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

In addition to three news segments that aired throughout the week and three long-form investigative articles, Global News also produced an unprecedented 30-minute prime time special about antisemitism rising in Canada since October 7, which aired on Saturday night.

We are grateful to Global News for shining a light on this insidious hate that endangers all Canadians.

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As part of our work combating antisemitism, CIJA has been advocating that victims who suffer emotional distress as a result of hate crimes should be able to sue perpetrators for damages.

To this end, CIJA deputed at Queen's Park before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy studying Bill 157, Enhancing Access to Justice Act, to support amendments to the Victims' Bill of Rights that would make it easier for individual victims of hate crime – regardless of whether they suffered bodily harm from those crimes – to hold perpetrators accountable in civil court.

As the Bill moves to third reading, CIJA will continue to push to ensure that victims of antisemitic hate crime are included in the list of victims who are presumed to have suffered emotional distress so that the very real consequences of hate are recognized by the courts.