Pursuant to notice of February 29, 2024, moved:

That the Senate take note:

(a)of the data from Statistics Canada and Jewish organizations such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and B’nai Brith indicating a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents across Canada over the past years;

(b)of a global surge in antisemitism, to which Canada has not been immune, since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and Israel’s duty to respond to it;

(c)that since October 2023, Canada’s Jewish community has witnessed shots fired at its schools, arson attempts at its communal buildings, boycott efforts and vandalism targeting private businesses, simply because their owners are Jewish, and the intimidation of its students at universities;

(d)that police departments across the country all report major and unprecedented increases in hate crimes since October 2023, with the Jewish community being by far the most targeted;

(e)that the Government of Canada has appointed Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former Ambassador to Israel, as the new Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism;

(f)that the authority vested in the Special Envoy’s office permits her to be uniquely placed to convene and chair a second national summit to combat antisemitism; and

(g)that a second national summit to combat antisemitism would provide a valuable forum for stakeholders representing all levels of government, civil servants, law enforcement agencies, educators and community leaders to share information and agree on effective strategies to blunt the unprecedented wave of hate aimed at Jews; and

That the Senate urge the Government of Canada to direct the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism to convene a second national summit to combat antisemitism.

He said: Honourable senators, it has been more than six months since we witnessed the atrocities of Hamas’s attack on innocent Israelis on October 7, and the atrocities continue as more than 100 innocent Israeli men and women, young and old, remain held hostage by Hamas.

Here in Canada, over the last six months, we have seen shocking headlines and social media posts reporting on an unprecedented surge in anti-Semitic incidents. There have been several incidents of shots being fired at Jewish schools and homes; arson attempts at Jewish community centres and businesses; hateful rallies, including on the doorsteps of synagogues, that have called for the destruction of Israel and death to Jews; and actual physical assaults on Jews, including in our universities.

There have been relatively few arrests despite the fact that these rallies have crossed the line from free speech to hate speech in what most Canadians see as open violations of our hate laws. Protesters are emboldened by this lack of repercussions but also by the cavalier attitude of many politicians.

This past Saturday, I was disgusted to see pro-Hamas protesters in Toronto celebrating Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel — imagine celebrating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, in our streets — and then yesterday, in my own town of Montreal, protesters actually pledging allegiance to the leader of Hamas by name and saying they are his soldiers. They are pledging allegiance to a recognized terrorist organization, whose stated goal is to destroy Israel, in the streets of Canada.

Why aren’t we ripping our collective shirts in indignation like we were at the sight of a lone swastika during the convoy? On Sunday, we saw someone on the streets of a Canadian city proudly throwing up the Nazi salute while holding a picture of the Ayatollah. Where is the outrage? Why isn’t the Prime Minister holding daily press conferences to denounce this? We have seen him convene with the media for far less.

Then there is the Trudeau government’s continued refusal to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. This not only sends a signal to the Islamic regime in Iran but also its supporters right here in Canada that they have nothing to fear from their actions. Meanwhile, we heard empty words from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s attack, stating that they support Israel’s right to defend itself but conveniently leaving out that — as a concession to the NDP — their government banned military exports to Israel.

Then, yesterday, Minister Joly went so far as to call what happened on Saturday a win for Israel. She actually said yesterday that Israel should “. . . take the win . . .” What type of logic is required for one to consider it a win to have hundreds of missiles exploding in the sky over one’s head?

The fact that there were no Israeli casualties isn’t for lack of trying. The narrative that Ms. Joly is pushing, that Iran designed it to be that way, is laughable. What does it say about Canada that Saudi Arabia is doing more to help Israel’s defence than we are?

It is any wonder that in the past several months we have seen anti-Israeli protesters become bolder and bolder? They have blocked the entrances of synagogues and Jewish community centres, trapping worshippers inside for hours without police response. At McGill University, protesters blocked all the entrances of the Bronfman Building simply because it’s named after a prominent Jewish philanthropist who helped build that building.

Several months ago, at a demonstration in Montreal, a local imam called for the death of Jews, citing his interpretation of the Quran. It took months for police to finally act on this. Thankfully, yesterday, we saw some arrests of protesters in Montreal and even some in Toronto.

But overall, the chants of “kill the Jews” continue to ring out unimpeded. As a Canadian, I’m outraged. The full force of the law needs to be used against those who foment this kind of hate, and more of us here in Parliament need to speak out against it.

No region of the country has been immune to the wave of hate toward Jews. Vancouver police have announced a 62% jump in anti-Semitic incidents in 2023. Toronto police reported a 53% increase in hate crimes in 2023, with early indications that 2024 will easily exceed those numbers. In recent documentation, Montreal police reported a whopping 39 hate crimes against Jews, 36 hate crimes against Jewish property and 56 hate incidents between October 7 and January 24 alone. These are police figures.

A quick internet search reveals many incidents targeting Jews over the past six months right across Canada. Media reports say that anti-Semitic incidents increased more than twofold in Halifax — to 18 in 2023 from 7 in 2022 — with most occurring after the October 7 attacks. Calgary police reported 27 anti‑Semitic incidents in 2023 — up from 15 — while Edmonton saw the number rise from 10 in 2022 to 18 in 2023, with 15 of those occurring, again, after October 7.

Colleagues, we cannot allow anti-Semitism to become normalized, and we cannot allow the haters to believe they can act with impunity. It is totally unacceptable that the Jewish community, whose history dates back to the foundation of our country and who have contributed so much to Canada’s well‑being and success, should feel unsafe on their own streets and in their own communities.

How far we have fallen since the July 2021 National Summit on Antisemitism when it was held under the auspices of Canada’s then-Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. That summit led to substantial new funding for the special envoy’s office, new money for the Security Infrastructure Program, a commitment to better train civil servants and law enforcement to recognize and react to anti‑Semitism, and a strong statement by Canada at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism in October 2021.

The situation now is clearly worse. Convening decision makers, including electoral officials at all levels, civil servants, law enforcement, educators, community and spiritual leaders, can only be beneficial, particularly as we face record levels of anti‑Semitic incidents. We need to get everyone together to figure this out.

But that can only do so much if the change doesn’t come from the top. It has to start with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs ending their practices of divisive diaspora politics and vote banking on identity politics. The motion that my colleague Senator Dalphond and I presented supports a growing movement across Canada that is already calling for such a second summit to be convened under the authority of Deborah Lyons who is Canada’s current Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism.

Although, if I’m being honest, I don’t know what leaves me more discouraged: the belief that this government will not honour such a motion, or the fact that they would but only to be able to say, “Hey, look, we’re doing something.”

Regardless, I do hope you’ll join me in supporting this motion to send a message to not only the government to take seriously the rise in anti-Semitism and their contribution, but also to Jewish Canadians to show there are those of us still in this Parliament who believe that anti-Semitism is evil, ugly and unacceptable. A growing number of municipalities have recently adopted motions urging the rapid convening of a second national summit, as have 200 Canadians in a recently released open letter, with signatories including politicians from municipal and provincial governments, community leaders and organizations representing many different racial minorities, as well as rabbis and all religious faith leaders across our country.

I want to thank Marvin Rotrand for being the driving force behind those initiatives. It’s heartening to see Christians, Muslims and Hindus rallying to stand with the Jewish community at this difficult time.

Colleagues, what we have seen over the past months is reminiscent of the dark days of the 1930s. It is overt anti‑Semitism, it is often violent and it must stop.

In closing, I would like to mention that Rabbi Saul Emanuel, the Chair of the Jewish Community Council of Montreal, is among the signatories of that open letter and a friend of mine. Several months ago, there were serious attempts to burn down the council’s building. Thankfully, the damage was limited and no one was hurt, but Rabbi Emanuel rightly pointed out that the local Jewish community was — and remains — traumatized.

It is for people like Rabbi Emanuel that I call upon the Senate today to take action. Colleagues, we need to stand up for the Jewish community. We need to stand up for Canadians who believe that we can live in peace, freedom, democracy and respect for the rule of law. I know each and every one of you hold those values close to your heart.

Colleagues, I call upon you all to endorse and support this motion, and send a clear message that we all stand with the Jewish community in Canada.

Thank you.