Last month, the Toronto Police Service released its annual report on hate and bias crimes, and for the 12th year in a row, Jews were the single most targeted victim group in the City of Toronto.
As if those findings weren’t hard enough to digest, 2017 has continued the trend, with more anti-Semitic incidents: mezuzot were ripped from door posts in a Toronto condominium building; a pro-Nazi tabloid was distributed widely across the city; bomb threats were phoned in to Jewish community centres in Toronto and across the country; Islamic imams preached death to Jews and were bold enough to air them on the Internet; and hate messages were scrawled over the course of several days at York University.
READ: POLICE INVESTIGATE ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS AT TORONTO CONDO
In recent weeks, the Jewish community might be feeling like it’s wearing a target on its back. To address community concerns, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto sponsored a community security town hall at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue March 29.
Representatives of York Regional Police and Toronto Police joined CIJA and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto officials at the gathering.
While most of the presentations focused on the theme of how best to address threats, Supt. Myron Demkiw, who heads the Toronto Police intelligence unit, pointed to a recent specific development. Police had investigated Your Ward News, the pro-Nazi tabloid distributed widely in the city’s east end, for potentially violating anti-hate laws and “submitted a package to the attorney general” with recommendations.
Under the Criminal Code, hate crimes prosecutions require the attorney general’s consent to proceed, and police are awaiting directions, Demkiw said.
Steve McDonald, CIJA’s deputy director of communications and public affairs, said CIJA commissioned a survey in 2015 of 1,316 Canadians to determine their attitudes to Jews. The 2015 study revealed some worrying findings, suggesting some Canadians subscribed to well-worn anti-Semitic tropes.
Some 48 per cent of those polled agreed strongly or to some extent with the proposition that Jews help each other more than others; 34 per cent thought Jews were more loyal to Israel than Canada; and 32 per cent thought Jews held different values than the majority of Canadians, McDonald said.
On the positive side, 58 per cent agreed that Jews face discrimination and prejudice, while three-quarters or more agreed Jews have made important contributions to culture, the economy and charities.
Counc. James Pasternak, who represents Toronto’s Ward 10, noted that Mayor John Tory had spoken out against all forms of intolerance and discrimination and indicated that anti-Semitic crimes must be taken seriously.
Berl Nadler, chair of CIJA Toronto, said the incidents in Toronto seemed to be part of a global phenomenon, while noting many of the bomb threats originated with an Israeli teenager.
Liberal MP Michael Levitt reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unequivocally condemned anti-Semitism and said he stands in solidarity with the Jewish community.
The recent federal budget doubled funds allocated to the Security Infrastructure Program, allowing groups at risk, such as the Jewish community, to tap into money to enhance security measures at community buildings, he said.
Det. Brian Smith of Toronto Police’s divisional policing support unit, said law enforcement officers are focusing on programs to help stop youth radicalization. An outreach program tries to provide support services to “vulnerable individuals” before they resort to violence, he said.
READ: CANDAIAN JDL MEMBER CHARGED IN BEATING OF PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN
Insp. Dieter Boeheim of York Regional Police’s intelligence bureau, said addressing extremism and terrorism “is pretty much the most challenging of policing I’ve ever worked on.”
Ideology-driven extremism is hate that travels, he said, adding he expects to be “fighting this problem for many years.”
Gerry Almendrades, a security adviser recently hired by CIJA after an extensive stint in the Canadian Armed Forces, said CIJA provides assistance to community groups to counter potential threats.
“There are threats,” he said, “but the sky is not falling.”