Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather and 31 fellow caucus members have released a statement denouncing the increase of antisemitism in Canada and urging Canadians to oppose hatred directed towards Jewish communities. The statement, shared on social media by Housefather, comes shortly after a Jewish woman was stabbed in a daylight attack at an Ottawa grocery store, deemed a hate-motivated crime by the police.
Joseph Rooke, a 71-year-old from Cornwall, Ont., was apprehended at the scene and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. The victim, also in her 70s, sustained critical injuries. Housefather and the other Liberals highlighted the incident in their statement, expressing concern over the normalization of antisemitism through various forms of attacks.
According to Statistics Canada, there were 920 police-reported hate crimes against Jewish individuals in 2024, surpassing those targeting other religious groups and showing a significant increase from 527 incidents in 2022. The Liberal MPs emphasized the need for collective action from Canadians, government bodies, law enforcement, educational institutions, and workplaces to combat the spread of hate.
The signatories of the statement include Minister of Artificial Intelligence Evan Solomon, Minister of Environment Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Crown Indigenous-Relations Rebecca Alty, Secretary of State (Children and Youth) Anna Gainey, and Rachel Bendayan, parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney. They reiterated their support for Carney’s commitment to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code to prevent unlawful intimidation near places of worship, schools, and community centers.
During the recent federal election campaign, Carney and the Liberal Party pledged to criminalize intentional obstruction of access to these locations. Additionally, they vowed to boost the budget of the Canada Community Security Program to enhance protection for vulnerable communities and places of worship. Carney condemned the Ottawa attack on the Jewish woman as deeply troubling and assured the Jewish community of Canada’s solidarity against hatred and antisemitism.