Recent attacks on Jewish sites in Toronto have raised alarm and prompted more criticism of the Trudeau government for its lack of action on antisemitism in Canada. On Monday morning, a school bus parked in a Jewish neighbourhood was set ablaze in what police are investigating as an arson attack.
In addition, several Jewish community centres and a kosher grocery store were defaced with anti-Israel graffiti.
The Toronto Police Service responded promptly to the incident involving the school bus. According to police, the bus had been parked in the same location for the past 15 years. The bus was severely damaged, with its engine block destroyed beyond repair. A photograph shared by York Centre MP Yaara Saks shows the extent of the damage, underscoring the severity of the attack.
Eglinton-Lawrence MP Marco Mendico condemned the act, asserting that such antisemitic violence will persist unless serious consequences are enforced against hate-motivated crimes. The United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Greater Toronto and Thornhill MP Melissa Lantsman also reported that the graffiti included slogans like “Free Palestine,” which have been described as acts of antisemitic vandalism.
The UJA Federation denounced the targeting of Jewish sites, stating that “targeting Jews because of the Middle East is pure antisemitism and only makes us more determined to stand up for our beliefs.” They have been in contact with the police regarding these incidents. Lantsman, in a statement on social media, called the vandalism a clear act of intimidation and an assault on Canadian values. She emphasized that such actions should not be tolerated and urged that those responsible be prosecuted.
These recent attacks come amid a troubling trend of antisemitic incidents across Canada. Jewish communities have faced a rising tide of antisemitism, from threats at places of worship to harassment at universities and in neighborhoods. This surge in antisemitic acts has been particularly disheartening given the Trudeau government’s relative silence on the issue.
Further complicating the situation, recent controversial appointments by the Trudeau government have drawn criticism. In June, Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani appointed Birju Dattani as Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, despite his known history of antisemitic social media posts. This decision has been met with dismay from organizations such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), B’nai Brith Canada, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
Adding to the controversy, the Trudeau government’s past decisions, including payments of over $700,000 taxpayer dollars to build an anti-racism strategy for Canadian broadcasting (and additional contract with the CRTC) to the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC)—an organization linked to racist and antisemitic rhetoric—have also been scrutinized. CMAC’s founders, the husband and wife team of Laith Marouf and Dr. Gretchen King-Marouf, have been criticized for their hate-filled social media posts, including Marouf’s posts: “I have a motto: Life is too short for shoes with laces or for entertaining Jewish white supremacists with anything but a bullet to the head”, and “You know all those loud-mouthed bags of human feces, aka the Jewish White Supremacists; when we liberate Palestine, and they have to go back to where they come from, they will return to being low voiced bitches of [their] Christian/Secular White Supremacist Masters.”
Prime Minister Trudeau, Officials at Canadian Heritage nor the Minister Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth of Canada, Ahmed Hussen could explain to the House of Commons why they paid taxpayer funds for a ‘diversity strategy’ to the overtly racist and antisemitic Marouf or his partner/wife King-Marouf who has also received at least one taxpayer-funded SSHRC “scholarship” grant.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and other legacy media outlets have been criticized for their limited coverage of all of these incidents and for often failing to highlight the antisemitic aspects of the attacks.
The recent events in Toronto highlight a pressing need for a robust response to antisemitic violence and rhetoric. As the community rallies against these acts, there is a growing call for both political leaders and the media to address and condemn antisemitism more forcefully.
Photo: Courtesy Kevin Vuong, Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York
