Casey Conaghan

Eighty-two years ago today, freedom stood on the edge of extinction, and Allied forces stormed into hell to help save the world. We will never forget the courage, the sacrifice, and the blood spilled on that fateful day.

CIJA Responds to Prime Minister’s Address on Antisemitism: The Jewish community is angry, frustrated and deeply concerned for its future in Canada. For nearly three years, Jewish Canadians have watched antisemitism surge across our country while too many institutions, leaders, and authorities failed to respond with the urgency the situation demands. The hate and hostility targeting Canada’s Jewish community is an urgent national crisis. In a public address to the nation, the Prime Minister acknowledged that antisemitism is a threat to all Canadians. He recognized that the crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, severe, and demands a targeted response. He laid out specific measures the government has introduced, sharing his concern that Canada’s civic compact is failing the Jewish community. The Prime Minister’s address marks an important moment in an urgently needed, national conversation. What matters most are the actions that will follow. Urgent focus is now needed to ensure consistent enforcement of the law, as well as serious measures to disrupt radicalization and terrorist activity in Canada. To address the campaign of harassment targeting the Jewish community, authorities must also end the weaponization of public institutions like the Canada Revenue Agency. And in confronting the sources of radicalization, it is essential to recognize antizionist extremism as a driver of hostility toward Canadian Jews since the Hamas-led October 7 terrorist attacks—a point that the Prime Minister did not explicitly make and that Canadians needed to hear. While the Prime Minister correctly stated that a whole of government approach is required to fight antisemitism, the formation and composition of the new Ministerial Advisory Council raise serious concerns. The challenge facing our country has been studied extensively. Immediate action, rather than further deliberation, is what’s needed now. This new body must not delay or obstruct the urgent measures needed to protect Canadians from the extremists threatening our national security, community safety, and the Canadian way of life. We urge our Prime Minister and leaders across Canada to act now, in light of these growing threats. Our community will continue to advocate for measures to protect Canadians, confront extremism, and restore confidence that Canada remains a country where Jewish life can thrive safely and openly.