Canadian PM says country is failing Jewish citizens amid highest levels of antisemitism since World War II

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged on Monday that Canada is failing its Jewish citizens as the country experiences what he described as its most severe wave of antisemitism since World War II.

Speaking at the Holy Blossom Temple synagogue in Toronto, Carney announced the creation of a federal advisory council tasked with combating antisemitism and other forms of hate crimes.

“The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe and it demands a targeted response,” Carney stated. “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians."

The announcement comes amid a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents across Canada following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Jewish institutions, businesses and university campuses have increasingly been targeted.

Although Jews constitute approximately 1% of Canada's population, government data indicate that 70% of reported religion-motivated hate crimes in 2024 targeted Jewish Canadians.

Carney announced that the new council will be headed by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller. According to reports, the council will identify the drivers of antisemitism, improve data collection and recommend investments in education and community security.

The Canadian prime minister noted that rising antisemitism is a global problem.

“The horror and shame are global. Our actions must be local,” Carney stated.

He emphasized that efforts to combat antisemitism would not come at the expense of free speech.

“I want to be clear about what these potential measures are, and what they are not,” he said.

“They are not curtailments of freedom of expression. They are not constraints on legitimate criticism of any government on any subject anywhere,” Carney continued, likely referring to criticism of the Israeli government amid the Hamas-initiated Gaza war.

“They are the basic standards we owe one another, in our shared public institutions, to ensure that no Canadian community is driven from those institutions by hatred,” he concluded.

Prominent Jewish Canadian businessman Harley Finkelstein welcomed Carney’s public commitment to combat antisemitism.

“Canada finally said the quiet part out loud,” Finkelstein said.

Prior to Carney’s speech, Noah Shack, chief executive of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, urged the Canadian government to step up its efforts to combat antisemitism and improve security for Jewish Canadians.

Canada announced in March that it would invest $10 million to boost security around Jewish institutions amid rising antisemitism.

“Our government is unwavering in its commitment to keep Canadians safe and to [combat] all forms of hate,” Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated at the time.

“No one in Canada should ever feel unsafe because of who they are, how they pray, or the community they belong to. Jewish communities have been increasingly targeted for hate crimes and impacted by rising hate-related incidents,” the minister continued.

In March, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel warned that Canada faced a potential Bondi Beach-style massacre of Jews due to the dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents.

"The writing was on the wall with the Bondi Massacre, and I see the exact same pattern in Canada," Haskel assessed.

"There are not many voices speaking out against racism and antisemitism in Canada,” the Israeli minister argued. “Therefore, it is critical to hear those voices and to strengthen them, so they can speak out freely and without fear," she added.