High levels of antisemitic incidents in Canada have continued to be an election issue, with the Thursday Montreal English-language federal party leader debate seeing incumbent Prime Minister Mark Carney and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet promise new laws to assuage the fears of Jewish voters.
Liberal leader Carney assured Canadians that his party would make it a criminal offense to threaten or impede access to houses of worship, community centers and schools in a discussion of public security. Carney said that he wished that such legislation wasn't necessary.
"There are people — we're in Montreal — in Montreal, in Toronto, across this country, who fear going to their synagogue, fear going to their community center fear taking their children leaving their children in school and this has to stop," said Carney.
Carney's reference to proposed "bubble legislation," which have been introduced or debated across Canada, led Jewish Mount Royal Parliament Member Anthony Housefather to praise his party's leader on X.
"Tonight Mark Carney spoke directly to the importance of the Jewish community and all Canadians feeling safe in our cities, places of worship & community centres and committed to bubble legislation," said Housefather.
Bubble zones have been introduced in cities such as Vaughn, through a June by-law, and in March at the national forum on combating antisemitism Public Safety Canada promised it would consult with leadership on similar changes to the criminal code. According to the CBC, a similar proposed bylaw led to protests on Thursday outside the Toronto city hall. Opponents to such by-laws, such as the Canadian Civil Liberties association, have argued to the Toronto and Brampton city councils that such regulation undermines Charter of Rights and Freedoms protections for freedom of speech and protest.
Supporters of the Toronto by-law, such as Toronto City Councilor James Pasternak, have argued that those protesting Thursday wished to reserve Charter rights for "angry mobs" and "those behind masks" had violated the rights of others on a hundred occasions since October 2023.
Jewish communities continue to see incidents at community centers
Jewish communities have continued to see disruptive incidents at community centers, such as an April 1 protest outside the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. The protest was against the Israeli Consul, whom Jewish leaders said in a statement was not present at the site.
Blanchet also proposed tougher legislation at the Thursday night debate, noting the harassment that the Quebec and broader Jewish community faced from "a very little minority of radical Islamists."
"The law in Canada says that somebody may invite people to be violent to propose genocide against another people, if they can be hidden behind a religious motivation," said Blanchet, noting his belief that the other political leaders agreed with him. "We are saying this has to be changed we have to change what we do, before we want people elsewhere to change what they do."
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his complaint from the Wednesday French-language debate that "rampaging riots targeting Jewish communities" was due to "irresponsible liberal policies of weak borders, of dividing people into groups."
Poilievre argued for a return to "Canadian tradition" in which those immigrating to the country left foreign conflicts behind.
"We must end that division and unite our people so that everyone feels safe and that when we come here we put our foreign conflicts behind," said Poilievre.
New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh retorted that people from around the world that came to Canada cared deeply about their nations of origin, and should be able to express that care.
When the debate turned to foreign affairs, the party leaders rehashed arguments on the Israel-Hamas War from the previous debate, with added notes about the culpability placed on the Iranian Islamic regime.
"We must condemn Hamas and more importantly the terror sponsors in Tehran who initiated the attacks the horrific attacks of October 7," said Poilievre. We need to defeat the terrorists so that all the peoples of the world can live in peace and defend the right of — yes, Palestinians to have their own lives free from the oppression of Hamas dictators and Iranian intervention — while Israel has the ability to live in freedom and peace."
Carney said that Poilievre was right to mention Iran, adding that the Liberal-led government had conveyed the risk of Iranian proxies in the region to Canada's international partners.
"We need to work with our international partners maximum pressure maximum encouragement for an immediate ceasefire," said Carney. "That's the first thing my government put in place — a hundredmillion dollars of humanitarian aid which is ready to go. With respect to where this ultimately goes — yes two-state solution, but it has to be a viable and free Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with the state of Israel."
Singh attacked the Israel-Hamas foreign policy positions of the Conservative and Liberal leaders. He harkened back to Poilievre's vow to cut United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) funding, slamming his treatment of Palestinians and aid workers as "disgusting." Singh also repeated his demand that Carney acknowledge the Israeli military operation in Gaza as a "genocide."
"People in Israel and in Palestine deserve to live in peace and security," Singh also noted.
While Carney made a promise for legal protection on Thursday, with rising antisemitism occurring during the years of Liberal governance, some Jewish leaders have thrown their support behind a change government.
On Wednesday Jewish Community Council of Montreal executive director Rabbi Saul Emanuel issued a video calling for the Canadian Jewish community to support Poilievre, to repay the unwavering support that the politician had shown the community in the wake of the October 7 Massacre and the campaign of arson and vandalism against Jewish communities.
"Our communities were targeted simply for being Jewish. And in those painful frightening days, that our community was grieving, shocked, and searching for reassurance, Pierre Poilievre was there." said Emanuel. "More importantly, he stood with Jewish Canadians, clearly, firmly, and without hesitation."
Emanuel said that Jewish voters could be the deciding voice in 14 key ridings.
"We remember who stood with us when it mattered most, and now, we can all make a difference," said Emanuel.
Poilievre thanked Emanuel on X, offering remorse that the rabbi's pleas were necessary in Canada.
"We need change. Jewish Canadians should never feel threatened in their own country," said Poilievre. "Without hesitation or equivocation, Conservatives will always stand as allies and friends of the Jewish people so that they may live, worship, and exist freely and without fear."
