For three years, Canada’s Jewish community has suffered through a previously unimaginable rise in antisemitism. Jewish voices across the country, including B’nai Brith Canada, repeatedly called on the government to address the devolving crisis head on. When news broke that Prime Minister Mark Carney would finally be addressing the state of antisemitism, Jewish Canadians from coast to coast waited with bated breath.
The threat facing Jewish Canadians had been made all too real. Shootings, bomb threats, arson attacks, violence, and open hostility in our streets have underscored the direness of the situation. The community, which has fervently called for the implementation of concrete and tangible actions to stop the hate, allowed itself, even amid increased frustration, to wonder if the address would serve as the impetus for real change.
Would this be the start of the sorely needed response that had been missing for far too long?
Mark Carney’s remarks failed to meet the moment
Then Monday happened, the Prime Minister took to the podium, and his remarks failed to meet the moment. The Prime Minister re-affirmed what Jewish Canadians already knew, all too well: that Canada’s civic compact is failing its Jewish population. We did not need Mr. Carney to remind us that our safety, security, and well-being have become increasingly compromised, as this has become our day-to-day reality.
What was missing was the answer to the question on the mind of many in the Jewish community: Will Canada do what must be done to confront the national crisis of antisemitism?
While the Prime Minister did not announce any novel measures to curb the crisis, he did direct the National Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion to make addressing antisemitism its first responsibility. However, almost as soon as the Council was announced, questions emerged about its composition and mandate, leaving many to wonder whether it has the capacity to handle the directive.
What the Prime Minister has seemingly failed to grasp is that combatting antisemitism must involve changes at the national level, addressing the antisemitic incidents on our streets and the root causes of the crisis. Jewish Canadians need to be made safe and secure, not only told that Canada has failed them and that they belong in our society.
The Prime Minister did note that non-citizens have been implicated in some of the recent incidents targeting the Jewish community, noting Canada will be strengthening its border control policies. He also emphasized Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which the Government introduced last year, and noted increases made to funding earmarked for community security and combatting radicalization and extremism. These are vital measures for which B’nai Brith Canada has long advocated, but they must be accompanied by other reforms.
No magic cure for antisemitism
There is no magic cure for antisemitism, but there are pertinent steps that can be taken now. For example, B’nai Brith Canada has urged the government to update its list of terrorist organizations, and to take steps to disrupt groups which wilfully promote terrorism, hate and extremism on our streets. We have called, as have municipalities across Ontario, for a National Emergency Task Force to assess the threat of antisemitism and coordinate a response among law enforcement at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.
Similarly, B’nai Brith has led a public campaign for the establishment of a commission of inquiry, such as Royal Commission, to investigate the root causes of antisemitism in Canada.
The nation’s response to antisemitism must also acknowledge and confront the reality that antisemitism has evolved, and the historical links between Canada’s Jews and Israel cannot be ignored. Manifestations of antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism must be recognized for what they are: hate.
On Monday, the Prime Minister did not initiate the paradigm shift Jewish Canadians were hoping for, but this missed opportunity can and must be used to facilitate change. For the first time, the government acknowledged that antisemitism is raging out of control in Canada, threatening our social fabric and national security. Now, the government must recognize that Canada’s current strategy contains significant shortcomings and develop and implement a plan proportional to the scale of the crisis.
Simon Wolle is B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer
