Anti-Semitic hate incidents spike in Canada in 2023: reports

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According to B'nai Brith Canada's annual audit, incidents of anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and violence across Canada increased by 109.1 percent in 2023.

Since 1982, the Canadian Jewish Service and advocacy group has been recording incidents and conducting annual audits using information from police stations, its own hotline and a new app that allows anyone who sees and experiences an anti-Semitic incident or crime to report it directly. . including photos and videos.

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This year's total was 5,791 incidents – the highest for any year. All Canadian regions except Quebec saw a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2022 in 2023.

The audit is conducted not by region, but by region.

Ontario recorded the most in 2023 with 2,401 incidents, a 77.5 percent increase over the previous year. It was followed by Quebec with 523 (down 27.6 percent), British Columbia and Yukon with 482 (up 99.2 percent), followed by Alberta and the Northwest Territories with 352 (up 193.3 percent), the Prairies and Nunavut. 335 (up 400 percent) and 117 incidents in Atlantic Canada (up 108.9 percent).

B'nai Brith's Quebec regional director, Henry Topas, said the decline in Quebec may be an “aberration” and that many Quebecers are becoming brave enough to adapt their online anti-Semitic comments and comments to real-life situations.

“The overall (number of incidents) may be down, but the violence is up. To give you an idea, last year there were 22 incidents of violence against the Jewish community across the country, which we compiled. This year, there were 35 violent (reports) in Quebec alone,” he noted.

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According to the audit, violent incidents of anti-Semitism in Canada will increase from 25 in 2022 to 77 in 2023, a 208 per cent increase. Nationwide, online incidents increased by 656.5 percent to a total of 1,581.

Examples in the report include the burning of a synagogue and a Jewish community center and the November shootings at two Jewish schools in Montreal. In May, a report said, “A Jewish student at Langley was physically assaulted by classmates while taunting (using) anti-Semitic epithets.” In June, playgrounds and park equipment in Riverview, New Brunswick were spray-painted with swastikas.

“We want this study to be taken seriously, and (for authorities) what's happening on college campuses is unacceptable,” Topas said, referring to pro-Palestinian camps at McGill and other universities.

He said no one has been successfully prosecuted or convicted of anti-Semitic crimes in Montreal, which “causes other people to do something because they don't see any danger.”

He added that the police are not to blame for this.

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“I never blame the police. I have a lot of faith in the police. (Boss) Fadi Daguerre and his whole crew are amazing. I blame the people who lead them and don't let them do their jobs … Why is there still a camp at McGill?”

Montreal police have been closely monitoring hate crimes and incidents against the Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities since October 7.

According to the latest statistics, 209 hate crimes and incidents against members of the Jewish, Arab and Muslim communities were registered between October 7, 2023 and April 30 of this year. 154 of them were against the representatives of the Jewish community, 55 against the representatives of the Arab and Muslim communities.

Of the 77 hate crimes committed against individuals, 51 were committed against Jews and 26 against Arab-Muslims.

Of the 47 hate crimes against property, 39 were against Jewish community property and eight were against Arab-Muslim property. Of the 85 hate incidents, 64 were against members of the Jewish community and 21 were against members of the Arab-Muslim community.

In this context, hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by hatred based on religion. Hate incidents are actions that are not crimes but can affect people's sense of safety, such as the distribution of offensive material, insults and offensive gestures.

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Montreal police spokeswoman Caroline Labelle noted that the reported incidents have not been proven in court and that they were not motivated by hatred of the victim's religion. Quebec's criminal code does not have a so-called “hate crime,” he added. If hatred is proven to be a motivator, it is an aggravating factor in criminal activity. So, if it is proven that someone accused of assault was motivated by hatred of the victim's religion, the suspect will still be charged with assault. But if the guilt is proved, the motive of hatred will be taken into account in sentencing.

He also noted that such a classification of hate crimes against certain religions had not been done in previous years.

The police service said in its annual report that in 2022 there were 50 hate crimes and 21 incidents targeting people based on religion, and 118 hate crimes and 35 incidents targeting people based on ethnic or national origin.

The rise in hate incidents and crimes has led some to call for a second national summit to combat anti-Semitism. The first summit was held in July 2021 under the chairmanship of Canada's first special representative on anti-Semitism, Irwin Kotler.

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Marvin Rothran, CEO of United Against Hate Canada (UAHC), said the numbers B'nai B'rith released Monday are consistent with his organization's research and what's happening in the United States and Europe. The statistics “show a massive increase in hate crimes since October, with the bulk of it targeting the Jewish community,” he said.

“Canada urgently needs a second national summit to combat anti-Semitism,” he added, echoing the demand in a UAHC open letter signed on April 1 by 200 Canadians, including members of several provincial legislatures, mayors, city councillors, school trustees and community leaders. . The group wants the summit to be chaired by Deborah Lyons, Canada's current special representative for Holocaust Remembrance and Anti-Semitism.

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