PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Canadian government is facing renewed criticism for its perceived inaction against antisemitism, as a new report reveals a record number of hate crimes targeting the nation’s Jewish population.

On Monday, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released a report indicating that 6,800 antisemitic incidents occurred in Canada in 2025, marking a 9.4% increase from 2024. This averages to 18.6 incidents daily and represents the highest volume recorded by the organization since it began tracking such events.

Just last week, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights in Canada published a report on the rise of antisemitism following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. The committee put forth 22 recommendations for the Canadian government to combat the surge in anti-Jewish hate.

These recommendations cover a broad spectrum, including enhancing research on hate crime data, increasing security funding, addressing the display of hate symbols, expanding digital and social media literacy, and bolstering educational resources for both teachers and students.

One specific recommendation directly addressed the Prime Minister, urging him to reinstate the position of Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. Prime Minister Carney had eliminated this role in February, merging it with the combating Islamophobia position into a different office. His office has not yet responded to an inquiry regarding his intention to implement this recommendation.

While the report was welcomed by some, several Jewish Canadians expressed concerns about whether it accurately identified the root causes of antisemitism.

The report does not mention Islamic extremism and only occasionally references anti-Zionist sentiment, often quoting other institutions and respondents.

“It is deeply troubling and bewildering that the Senate report doesn’t even reference religious radicalism as a problem,” Rabbi Elchanan Poupko, host of The Jewish World podcast, told Digital.

“The reluctance to identify the radicals is itself evidence of ignorance and bias,” he stated. “By their silence, politicians are implying that they think the broad Muslim community is supportive of the radicals and therefore fear alienating that community by denouncing the radicals. Truth be told, it is often that moderate Muslims are the first who suffer at the hands of radical elements.”

Poupko further noted that while it is “notoriously difficult to quantify with any degree of certainty what percentage of Canadian Muslims support the radicals,” it is “certainly far from a majority.”

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council also voiced concerns regarding the Senate’s recommendations. While reaffirming that “combating antisemitism is essential to protecting all communities in Canada,” the group stated on X that “certain recommendations… raise serious concerns about potential impacts on Charter-protected freedoms, including protest and expression.” They suggested that “efforts to address hate” should “not inadvertently limit civil rights, restrict lawful advocacy or disproportionately marginalize communities.”

Aviva Klompas, CEO and co-founder of Boundless Israel, expressed her approval of the report’s recommendations for “creating safety zones around religious institutions and community spaces, strengthening hate crime enforcement and education.” However, she believes the report “does not fully account for the multiple dimensions driving this immediate surge, including Islamic extremism and the ways anti-Zionism is used as a cover to target Jews.”

Concerns have been raised about the adequacy of the Senate’s recommendations in addressing the current climate of anti-Jewish hate. Poupko commented that “Antisemitism is too generic a term to describe what is now the problem,” and that “‘old’ solutions, like education, police training and Holocaust awareness are clearly insufficient to meet the challenge.”

Klompas stated that she “appreciate[s] that a plan is being put into place” but is concerned “that it doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment. Jewish schools have been shot at, synagogues repeatedly targeted and Jewish-owned businesses vandalized.”

She questioned whether anyone would “gamble on a new task force or education training programs to keep your family and friends safe at a moment when they are actively under attack?”

Ian McLeod, senior media relations advisor at the Canadian Department of Justice, informed Digital, “The Government of Canada is taking concrete action to counter hate in all its forms, including antisemitism, and reinforce that our society will not tolerate anyone being made to feel afraid because of who they are, how they worship or where they gather.” The spokesperson added that many of the Senate’s recommendations “reflect these actions.”

Among the initiatives McLeod highlighted as already in progress is Canada’s Action Plan on Combating Hate (CAPCH), launched in September 2024. This plan “brings new and existing initiatives together to foster greater coordination and collaboration among federal organizations to prevent and address hate.”

During the same year, McLeod noted, the Canadian government “announced over $273 million to support community safety, improve responses to hate crimes, help victims, and counter radicalization.”