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Dramatic New Toronto Police Figures Show Alarming Rise in City’s Antisemitic Incidents in 2023
Newly released statistics from the Toronto Police Service reveal that incidents targeting the city’s Jewish community have nearly doubled so far this year, compared to the same period in 2022.
Of the 338 hate-motivated incidents reported between Jan. 1 and Dec. 17, 147 were against the Jewish community – up from 81 antisemitic incidents reported during the same period last year. That represents an increase of more than 81 per cent and more than 43 per cent of all reported hate crimes.
Between Oct. 7 and Dec. 17, 56 of the 98 hate crimes reported were antisemitic.
Too Many of Today's Youth Are Misinformed About the Holocaust
In FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt’s latest Toronto Star column, he discusses the lack of knowledge of the Holocaust among young people in Canada and the work being done to change this. "Little surprise young people are so ill-informed given the cursory attention the Holocaust has traditionally received in school curriculums," Levitt writes. "Fortunately, that’s now changing."
Are Antisemitism, Islamophobia Problems in Canada? Most Say Yes
According to a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute published today, three-quarters of Canadians see both antisemitism and Islamophobia as significantly problematic. Canadians older than 54 were more likely to view antisemitism as a major problem (34 per cent) compared with anti-Muslim discrimination (20 per cent), while the opposite was apparent for Canadians 18 to 34, who viewed Islamophobia as a significant problem (26 per cent) over anti-Jewish hatred (22 per cent).
Youth in Ottawa Charged in Anti-Jewish Terror Plot
The RCMP have arrested an Ottawa youth for allegedly plotting a terror attack on the Jewish community. The suspected was charged with "facilitation of a terrorist activity by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance" and "knowingly instructing, directly or indirectly, a person to carry out a terrorist activity against Jewish persons."
Teen Placed on Terrorism Peace Bond, Ordered to Stay Away from LGBTQ Events, Synagogues
RCMP and Calgary police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an ongoing terrorism investigation connected to social media posts. A 16-year-old was taken into police custody last Wednesday - the same day that a 17-year-old was placed on a terrorism peace bond and ordered to stay away from social media, LGBTQ events and synagogues. Two others, a 15-year-old and a 20-year-old, have also been arrested as part of the national security investigation.
MPs Challenge University Chiefs to Say If Calling for Genocide of Jews Violates Their Conduct Codes
Five Liberal MPS - Marco Mendicino, David Lametti, Anthony Housefather, Ben Carr and Anna Gainey - have written to the presidents of Canada’s largest universities, asking them to clarify if calling for the genocide of Jews or the elimination of Israel breaches their codes of conduct and to spell out the steps they are taking to ensure that Jewish students and staff feel safe.
Construction Begins on New Montreal Holocaust Museum
Construction on the new Montreal Holocaust Museum began on Tuesday and work is expected to continue until the end of 2025. The new establishment is set to be inaugurated at the beginning of 2026.
Man Charged for Antisemitic Threats Against Ottawa Family Doctor
A 39-year-old BC man has been charged with hate-motivated offences for a phone call against a healthcare professional, which also included misogynistic and intimidating threats, according to the Ottawa Police Service. Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth said that she was the target of the alleged phone call, among other incidents of antisemitism and threats on social media.
Hundreds of False Bomb Threats to Jewish Institutions Are Believed to Originate from Outside the US, FBI Says
Hundreds of false bomb threats that were emailed over the weekend to Jewish facilities across the US are believed to be connected and originating from outside the country, according to the FBI.
In a Shift, Latvia and Lithuania Are Paying Holocaust Survivors and Heirs for Their Stolen Property
The Lithuanian restitution program, granting 5-10 million euros to be distributed among Holocaust victims, is open to both survivors and direct heirs of private Jewish property that was nationalized or illegally expropriated under the Nazi and Soviet regimes. The Latvian program offers a payment of 5,000 euros to survivors who lived in Latvia as of June 21, 1941.
Report Antisemitism and News of Concern to FSWC
If you would like to report antisemitism or news of concern to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, please email advocacy@fswc.ca.
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