Canada campus antisemitism report faces methodological criticism

A government-sponsored report titled Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences (CASE) has concluded that antisemitism is systemic and pervasive on Canadian university campuses. Some findings suggest that 95 percent of Jewish students surveyed encountered antisemitism.

Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada has raised significant concerns regarding the report's methodology and terminology. In a policy brief submitted to the Department of Canadian Heritage, IJV Canada argued that the study relies on an unweighted, non-probability sample and fails to capture the political and institutional diversity of the Jewish student community.

Critics have specifically pointed to the report's use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which they argue conflates criticism of Israel and Zionism with hatred of Jewish people. IJV Canada has recommended that the government commission an independent methodological review and ensure that future research disaggregates Jewish identity from political positions regarding Israel.