Political situation in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister: We have failed the Jews

The Jewish community in Canada is being attacked with “brutal hatred” and has been let down by its country. Prime Minister Mark Carney said this during a visit to a synagogue in Toronto on Monday, reports the AP.

Statistics from Canadian authorities show that about 70 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the country were directed against Jews in 2024, writes Reuters. At the same time, Jewish Canadians make up only one percent of the population.

According to the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, the number of hate crimes against Jews has increased sharply in connection with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Criticism: Carney misses connection to Israel policy

Representatives of Jewish congregations and groups in Canada are critical of Prime Minister Mark Carney after he has focused on the increasing anti-Semitism in the country. This is reported by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

Critics claim that the increase can be explained to some extent by Canada's foreign policy towards Israel - a connection that they believe Carney is turning a blind eye to.

Rabbi Steven Wernick, among others, says that the Canadian government must be able to criticize Israel without "falling into the trap" and falling into anti-Semitism. According to the AP, government statistics show that the number of hate crimes targeting Jews has increased sharply in Canada after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.