Canada antisemitic incidents hit record

Canada’s antisemitic hate landscape has continued its sharp upward trajectory. Statistics Canada previously documented a rise from 492 incidents in 2021 to 959 in 2023 and 788 violent assaults in 2025, accounting for 16.7 % of all hate crimes that year. B’nai Brith Canada’s 2025 report now records a total of 6,800 antisemitic incidents—the highest since its 1982 baseline—averaging more than 18 cases per day. The figure reflects a 9.4 % increase over 2024 and a 145.6 % surge since 2022, driven by growth in online harassment, vandalism, physical violence and campus hate, especially after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Violence escalated further in 2026, highlighted by the May 7 shooting at Toronto’s Chasidei Bobov Synagogue, and overall violent attacks more than doubled compared with 2025, putting the year on track to become the most violent in recent memory. Federal and provincial leaders responded with a $75 million security package for Jewish community centres and synagogues and the creation of a Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion. Critics note a muted response to other faith‑based hate incidents and the removal of a dedicated special envoy on antisemitism.

B’nai Brith urges a coordinated, nationwide effort to confront hate across streets, schools, workplaces and digital platforms, emphasizing that the surge extends beyond the conflict in the Middle East and requires comprehensive action.