A Jewish man was violently attacked in Montreal, in front of his three children, sparking alarm over rising antisemitism in Canada. The incident, which involved an assailant spraying the man with water and physically assaulting him, has drawn sharp criticism of the Canadian government’s response. Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli accused Canada of enabling hatred against Jews, linking the violence to its support for Hamas and its plan to recognize a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the incident on Saturday, nearly a day and a half after the attack, stating it was an ‘appalling act of violence.’ However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly criticized Ottawa’s delayed response, calling the attack ‘shocking and stomach-turning.’ Jewish leaders such as Richard Robertson of B’nai Brith Canada emphasized that antisemitism has become a widespread issue, noting that it accounted for 18.8% of all reported hate crimes in 2024, with 68.5% targeting the Jewish community.
The attack occurred amid an escalating climate of hate, which recently led to the resignation of Canada’s special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, Deborah Lyons. The event also coincided with strained Canada-Israel relations, including Canada’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state. Former Canadian ambassador to Israel, Vivian Bercovici, linked the rise in antisemitism to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the growing Muslim population in Canada.