Carney says national unity council will study surge in antisemitism

The new national unity council will assess what is driving antisemitism in Canada and improve research and data collection on hate incidents, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday.

Speaking at a synagogue in Toronto, Carney said "antisemitism has surged to levels not seen in the postwar period," noting incidents including the firebombings of synagogues and bullets fired at Jewish schools.

He said more than two-thirds of all religion-motivated hate crimes in 2025 were directed at Jewish Canadians, who make up only one per cent of the population.

Combatting the problem starts with an admission that currently Canada is "failing Jewish Canadians," he said.

He then listed off a number of tasks assigned to the new advisory council on rights, equality and inclusion, announced in February.

That includes studying "the nature, the scale and the drivers of antisemitism" in Canada, and to improve research and data collection on hate incidents.

"The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it's severe and it demands a targeted response, and that is what our government is fully committed to," Carney said. 

Carney's announcement comes less than a month after Toronto police responded to a call about three "visibly" Jewish community members being shot at with an imitation firearm.

The spike in antisemitic incidents follows the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, which prompted Israel to bomb the Gaza Strip. Israel has drawn widespread condemnation over its aid restrictions and destruction of infrastructure in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Carney should offer the Jewish community "a big apology."

"Mark Carney should lay out an apology to the Jewish community for the violence, the terror and the fear that his party and his government have allowed to happen over the last decade," he said.

Criticizing Liberal policies, Poilievre said Canada needs to secure its borders against "illegal immigration" and "deport visitors who are participating in these acts of terror and violence on our streets."

"We need the government to condemn antisemitism in all of its forms," he said. "I would encourage Liberals to stop the divisive rhetoric and work on uniting Canadians."

Carney said Monday the new council will be chaired by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller and will include Sen. Marc Gold as a member.

Miller's department said in February the new council will look to foster social cohesion, rally Canadians around a common identity, combat racism and hate in all forms, and help guide federal efforts. Miller told reporters the advisory council would recognize Islamophobia and antisemitism but focus on national unity and "trying to bring people together."

The government announced at the time it would drop its stand-alone federal envoys to combat Islamophobia and antisemitism and fold the two positions into the new advisory council, composed of prominent academics, experts and community leaders.

A Senate committee studying antisemitism in April called on Carney to restore the antisemitism envoy.

The Liberals have introduced Bill C-9, known as the hate crime bill, to address a stark increase in hate crimes, particularly those involving antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The bill passed the House of Commons in March and is currently before the Senate human rights committee. Carney has previously said while the bill will address all types of hate, it was born as a direct response to the spike in antisemitism.

Currently, the Criminal Code has hate propaganda provisions on advocating genocide, public incitement and wilful promotion of hatred, and wilful promotion of antisemitism. It also recognizes as an offence mischief motivated by bias, prejudice or hate.

But other hate crimes, such as those involving homicide or assault, don’t have specific offences in the Criminal Code. Instead, hate is identified as an aggravating factor at sentencing.

Among other new provisions, C-9 would create a specific hate crime offence for acts motivated by hatred.

Statistics Canada reported in March an increase in reported hate crimes between 2018 and 2024 of 169 per cent, from 1,817 reported incidents up to 4,882. The agency reported the sixth straight annual increase in 2024, though the increase over 2023 was just one per cent.

Hate crimes involving antisemitism nearly tripled from 331 reported incidents in 2018 to 920 in 2024. Incidents involving Islamophobia likewise nearly tripled, growing from 84 reported crimes to 229.

Minister of Artificial Intelligence Evan Solomon said in Toronto Monday that "we have to be honest about this urgent and dangerous moment."

"Across the country, Jewish Canadians are facing a level of antisemitism that is unacceptable, it is frightening and it's dangerous," he said. 

Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple Yael Splansky said antisemitism is "not a Jewish problem."

"Just as people of colour cannot fix racism, just as women cannot correct misogyny, Jewish citizens cannot rid the country of antisemitism," she said. "Only government can govern."

"Canadian stability is being tested now. Canadian values are on trial now. At this watershed moment in its history, Canada must make good on its promise of peace, order and good government."

Noah Shack, the CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said events in the Middle East have fuelled hatred and violence against Jewish Canadians, and Ottawa must do more to strengthen community security and combat hate.

“Government and law enforcement must address the drivers of this crisis, including radicalization, promotion of terrorism, and terrorist entities operating here in Canada," Shack said in a news release Sunday.

"The prime minister has an opportunity to set the tone from the highest office to make clear that nothing can justify the hatred, intimidation, and violence Jewish Canadians are experiencing and that every tool at the government’s disposal will be used to confront it."

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young