QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Justice
Anti-Semitism
November 19, 2025
Minister Fraser, Canada’s spy chief delivered an alarming warning last week. Nearly 1 in 10 terrorism investigations now involve at least one minor who is radicalized online. He reported that violent extremist content, including anti-Semitism, is spreading faster than ever and is increasingly targeting young people.
Even more disturbing, he confirmed that several disrupted plots involved attacks planned specifically against Jewish communities, including two Ottawa minors arrested last year for allegedly plotting a mass casualty attack.
Minister, this is what happens when your government allows the open, wilful promotion of extremist propaganda on our streets, including pro-Palestinian protests calling for intifada and the elimination of the State of Israel and its people. When will the government finally take anti-Semitism seriously and bring forward real concrete legal measures to protect Jewish Canadians from the growing threats they face in communities across the country? I know we have a bill that’s coming here soon, but why did it take so long? And why did we have to get to the point where we are now?
Senator Housakos, you raised a number of different issues in your question. The first is on the recruitment of minors for very serious criminal offences. This is a pressing and substantial concern that demands action. We are looking at different options, likely of a legislative nature, that will address the recruitment of young people into criminal activity, criminal organizations and potentially terrorist activity as well.
We need to send a very clear signal that if you recruit children to carry out criminal behaviour, you will face very serious consequences.
There is a perception that because young people may face different criminal consequences, they are better recruits for certain kinds of criminal behaviour. We need to go upstream a level to ensure that those who would do something so egregious as to recruit a child to commit crimes are treated with serious consequences.
On the second item you mentioned about protecting Jewish Canadians, I do take issue with one characterization: I would differentiate between a peaceful protest in support of Palestine from hatred directed toward Jewish Canadians.
As we have discussed at length during this appearance, we do intend that legislative measures be designed to attach protection to religious institutions including synagogues and to buildings including Jewish community centres and to hate crimes more broadly regardless of where they take place in our communities. I am out of time. This is an important conversation, and I thank you for the question.
Minister, I think our government has been late. I think there has been a lack of political will in really tackling anti-Semitism in a serious way — when we have radical Hamas protesters in Toronto who are supported by police forces shutting down recordings of the Canadian national anthem, and when earlier today, I had a Jewish student sending me a video of protesters at McGill University, so to speak, but it’s more than that: Masked individuals were going into a classroom at McGill University under the supervision of McGill’s security. It highlights the degree to which this has gotten out of hand. It has gotten out of hand because we are not applying the Criminal Code and the hate elements of the Criminal Code that are there because of the lack of political will.
When will the highest authority — our justice minister — start sending a signal, along with the Prime Minister, that none of this behaviour will be tolerated any longer?
You have asked when we will start sending a signal. I would think that tabling legislation to address this precise issue on the floor of the House of Commons counts as sending a signal.
With enormous respect, there are stakeholders representing the interests of Jewish Canadians who are endorsing the bill we have now moved forward with, while some parliamentary colleagues from other parties decry it as a censorship bill and will not commit to actually supporting the measures designed and developed in some ways through the feedback we have received directly from the Jewish community.
We have iterated significantly the initial vision of this bill — which was designed in its infancy to protect people seeking to participate in religious buildings and institutions — to ensure it captures hate not just against Jewish Canadians but also hate more broadly no matter where it takes place in our communities.
The signal has been sent. The difference is being made. All that is left to do is to attract the support of enough members of Parliament from different parties.
Thank you, minister.
I’m certain all of you wish to join me in thanking Minister Fraser for joining us today. Thank you, minister.
