Justin Trudeau Disapproves of Latest Antisemitic Acts
On Wednesday morning, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students in Montreal clashed. Later that day, two Jewish schools in the city came under attack as several shots were fired. Following the horrific incident, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken to X to condemn the shootings.
Police have already launched an investigation into the matter. Early findings show several bullet holes in the doors of the Jewish schools located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood.
The ongoing war in the Middle East involving Israel and terrorist group Hamas has caused a split in Canada, with the majority of the residents demanding the two fighting parties to ceasefire in order to stop further deaths. Over 10,000 people have died in Gaza and Israel since the war began on October 7.
In an X post, Trudeau acknowledged that Canadians had varying opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict but said attacking Jewish people in the country wasn’t the way to go. He wants cases of hate crimes against the Jews to be reported to authorities immediately.
Rising Antisemitism Scares Jewish Students in Canada
University administrators in Canada have noted rising incidents of antisemitism that they say are scaring Jewish students. Wednesday’s violent altercation at Montreal-based Concordia University involving Israel and Palestine supporters has made things worse.
Antisemitic acts are not just happening in schools but also other places around Canada. On Monday, unknown people threw two Molotov cocktails, one at the Jewish community centre and the other at a synagogue.
Trudeau said in his X post that such antisemitic acts were unacceptable in Canada. He also noted that Islamophobia (hate crime against Muslims) was also growing, claiming that several Palestinians had reported cases of intimidation to the Police.
Toronto Police Say Antisemitism is Growing in the City
Antisemitic incidents have also been reported in Toronto. Police in this city say such cases have risen since the war began. They narrated an incident where a man, who they have since arrested, threw eggs at a house owned by a Jew and then painted a swastika on its door. Toronto Police say they recorded 73 antisemitic acts last month.
