Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather, along with 31 colleagues from his party, have released a statement denouncing the alarming increase of antisemitism in Canada. They are urging Canadians to actively oppose hatred directed towards Jewish communities.
The statement was shared on social media by Housefather shortly after a Jewish woman was viciously attacked in broad daylight at an Ottawa grocery store, with police identifying the incident as a hate-motivated crime. The perpetrator, Joseph Rooke, 71, from Cornwall, Ont., was apprehended at the scene and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. The victim, also in her 70s, sustained critical injuries.
Drawing attention to the appalling attack, Housefather and his fellow Liberals expressed concern over the normalization of antisemitism, citing a distressing trend of assaults on synagogues, Jewish schools, businesses, community organizations, and individuals within the Jewish community.
Statistics from Statistics Canada reveal a significant rise in police-reported hate crimes against Jewish individuals in 2024, surpassing incidents targeting other religious groups and marking a substantial increase from previous years.
The Liberal MPs emphasized the need for collective action against hate, calling on all Canadians, government entities, law enforcement, educational institutions, and workplaces to combat the spread of animosity. They condemned the unjust targeting of local Jewish communities based on events in the Middle East as wrongful, unacceptable, and antisemitic.
Notable signatories of the statement include Minister of Artificial Intelligence Evan Solomon, Minister of Environment Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty, Secretary of State (Children and Youth) Anna Gainey, and Rachel Bendayan, parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The Liberal MPs reiterated their support for Carney’s commitment to introducing legislative changes to the Criminal Code aimed at preventing unlawful fear and intimidation outside places of worship, schools, and community centers. They highlighted promises made during the recent federal election campaign, including making intentional obstruction of access to these locations a criminal offense and enhancing the budget of the Canada Community Security Program to safeguard vulnerable communities.
In response to the Ottawa incident, Carney expressed deep concern and solidarity with the Jewish community, pledging to confront antisemitism wherever it arises and ensure the safety of all Canadians.