Canadian government committee issues recommendations to tackle rising antisemitism

Last Tuesday, a Canadian parliamentary committee issued a report with 19 recommendations to address the rise in antisemitic incidents in the country.

Chaired by MP Lena Metlege Diab, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) heard testimony and reviewed evidence that highlighted the increasing vandalism and violence against Jews and Jewish sites in Canada, as well as the blackballing of Jewish events and organizations, fueled by the glorification of terrorism in the wake of the October 7 massacre.

Following the study, JUST released a report called, Heightened Antisemitism in Canada and How to Confront it for the House of Commons of Canada and the Canadian government to consider.

With witnesses warning that university and college campuses had become vectors of antisemitism, the committee recommended that university campuses be pushed to enforce codes of conduct and create clear reporting mechanisms for antisemitic incidents to security and staff, who should be trained to address such violations. It said that the standards must be communicated to staff, students, and faculty.

A government national review committee consisting of federal, provincial, and municipal representatives, as well as campus administrators, faculty, and students was proposed to develop further recommendations to ensure a healthy campus environment.

It was further suggested that the federal government provide funding for the collection of data on antisemitic experiences on Canadian campuses.

Canadian boycotts

The recommendations called for the banning of the controversial student protest encampments, which occupied the grounds of campuses across the world beginning last April. Moreover, it was noted that rules needed to be clarified concerning hate speech and incitement at protests, as Canadian campuses have seen increased demonstrations against Israel’s war against Hamas.

Another of the report’s recommendations was that academic institutions should oppose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement’s policies.

The committee called for the federal government to work with provincial and territorial leaders to ensure Holocaust education in schools, as well as explanations on modern-day antisemitism.

Witnesses told the committee how modern antisemitism was being concealed through certain manifestations of anti-Zionism, with some accounts detailing that antisemites at times would replace “Jew” with “Zionist” to make exclusion more palatable.

Consequently, the committee proposed antisemitism training for faculty and staff, including the heads of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, which utilize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

The committee proposed greater adoption of the IHRA’s definition not just in universities, but within provinces and territories, including DEI institutions.

It was also recommended that DEI programs include the Jewish community with “the full diversity of the Jewish identity” acknowledged, including “Jewish peoplehood, ethnicity, nationality, multi-denominational religion, cultural diversity, and language, as well as Zionist and indigenous aspects of Jewish identity.”

With Jewish synagogues and community centers being hit by gunfire and arson attacks, the committee proposed a series of law enforcement and legal reforms to empower police and prosecutors.

It was recommended that provinces and territories establish dedicated hate crime prosecution positions and a requirement for the consent of provincial attorneys-general to prosecute certain hate-motivated crimes.

The committee called for additional training for prosecutors and police hate crime units, and for the services that needed it to establish local hate crime units.

Another suggestion was that police services develop a standard definition for “hate crime” and “hate incident” for Statistics Canada so that the agency could work with police services on improving and standardizing data collection on hate crimes.

As with many countries, Canadian synagogues have seen demonstrations outside their gates against Israel-related events. The committee called for the creation of a law that would see community buildings and houses of worship protected.

With the committee giving testimony of post-October 7 protests glorifying terrorism, it proposed that the display of terrorist organization symbols be banned.

Further, it suggested that the Canadian Heritage Department ensure that recipients of government funding do not advocate intolerance, discrimination, prejudice, racism, or hate.

Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, praised the report on social media, saying that she looked forward to the recommendations being implemented.

“The fight against antisemitism requires Jews and non-Jews alike to stand together against hate,” said Lyons.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said on X/Twitter last Wednesday that the recommendations were important and urgent.

“Canada must urgently address the rising antisemitism, undertake steps to adopt these recommendations, and work to protect Jews in our communities,” said CIJA.

The report, citing a 2021 Statistics Canada census, noted that there were 335,295 to 404,015 Jewish Canadians. A 2024 B’nai Brith Canada report indicated that the country saw a 109% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2023.