Pro-Hamas Protests Target Toronto's Jewish Community

Photo by the group Palesign documenting a blockade of the Avenue Road Bridge in north Toronto. Photo by Veronika Sykorova

 

"[There have been] brazen attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools and businesses [across the the city]."

"This hate-motivated arson is yet another direct assault on Canadian values, pluralism and the rule of law -- inciting violence singularly because of one's faith."

"Call it what it is: antisemitism."

MPP Stephen Lecce, Education Minister, Ontario

"Based on the quality of circumstances, we believe that it was committed with bias or prejudice."

"This is not graffiti on a bus shelter. This is not a lawful protest protected by constitutional right. This is a criminal act. It is violent. It is targeted. It is organized."

"We will leave no stone unturned."

Staff Superintendent Pauline Gray, Toronto Police Services

"[These types of incidents leave people feeling shaken and] diminish our sense of safety and belonging."

"All residents of Toronto deserve to be safe and feel safe."

"As Mayor, let me be clear: acts of antisemitism, hate and violence are not welcome here."

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow

"[Politicians must] speak out forcefully, and take action, against the increasing intolerance targeting Jewish-owned businesses and predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods that we are witnessing on a regular basis."

Steven Del Duca, Mayor, Vaughan former leader Ontario Liberal party

"[The graffiti] confirmed [the suspected arson's] links to the anti-Israel mob."

"This escalation of lawlessness in #Toronto must come to an end."

James Pasternak, Toronto city councillor

Toronto firefighters are shown here at the scene of a fire at North York business early Wednesday. (CBC)

 

So very, very heartening for the Jewish community in Toronto and elsewhere across Canada to know that area politicians are aware of and averse to the divisions within society, stemming from the 'pro-Palestinian' mobs that descend day after day on city streets, bridges, in front of government buildings to shout their 'from the river to the sea' slogan, along with 'gas the Jews', 'intifada' and other cries to appeal to the hate festering in the minds of immigrants from Muslim countries and their enablers who set out to vilify Israel for defending its citizens against murderous terrorist groups.

Like the mob that has assembled day after day on the overpass on the city's main traffic artery, the 401 highway, leading to the heart of Jewish Toronto. The Jewish-owned deli-grocery that was firebombed is about a kilometre distant from the overpass. It doesn't take a genius to turn over a rock to understand that the nasty little slugs slithering out from under are part of that raucous hate-filled mob expressing their vocal antisemitism for all to hear. Nor does it make sense for the very police who vow they will leave no stone unturned, helpfully standing alongside the pro-Hamas protesters to ensure their safety.

That politicians are rallying to condemn antisemitism so viral and lethal it sparked a fire and left graffiti identifying the event with the 'pro-Palestinian' protests, is interesting, but thus far no politician, from the mayor to the provincial premier to the police services have made any move to put a stop to the ongoing racially motivated provocations that have interrupted peoples' lives, caused physical harm and created a terrifying situation for the Jewish population.

According to Toronto police statements they are investigating the fire set at International Delicatessen Foods that broke out on Wednesday, as "motivated by hate", and it certainly takes a genius to arrive at that conclusion. This is a grocery business specializing in European foods, quirkally occasionally printing its menus in Russian language. Its windows were smashed and the shop was defaced with "Free Palestine" graffiti. Some might surmise that the sign over the front entrance reading IDF initials signifying the Israel Defense Forces drew the attention of the arsonists.

 

The business's name is displayed as the acronym 'IDF' in large red letters above the building's entrance. (CBC)

 

The shop owner located in north Toronto, informed Mike Colle, deputy mayor for north Toronto that he had concerns for his family's safety. He also spoke of his business set-back where it could take months of restoration before the business could reopen. Leading Mr. Colle to state that the arson strikes at the city's Jewish community's fears of their security in the face of violent antisemitism. Musing on the human cost of "appalling" hate-motivated violence. So city authorities are cognizant of the problem but haven't seen their way through to stemming it.

According to Toronto police, a major increase has been seen in hate-motivated crimes fuelled by tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war, where between October 7 and December 17, ninety-eight hate crimes were reported, in comparison to 48 for the same period a year earlier. Of the total, 56 were antisemitic in nature, 20 considered to be anti-Muslim.

 

Ya'ara Saks, the federal Liberal minister of mental health and addictions, whose own government under Justin Trudeau has done nothing whatever to take steps to put a stop to the Palestinian program of slandering Israel by accusing it of genocide, and chanting provocative slogans whose meanings are all too clear, that Israel should be destroyed, himself said "with each brazen act of incitement and of violence, the cycle of antisemitism and hateful acts increases", and it most certainly does.

"This leaves everyone in the Jewish community feeling unsafe. Am I going to be the next target? Are my family members going to be a target? This is just so unacceptable."

"This is the product of weeks and weeks and weeks of hateful rhetoric being spread by hate groups operating here."

Jamie Kirzner-Roberts, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

According to officials, police and firefighters were called to the scene at about 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming from the rear. Fire crews entered the building and quickly extinguished the blaze. (CBC)