Toronto's Jewish Community Targeted Again By Violence
Jews are fleeing as antisemitism continues to spiral out of control and politicians fail to take action.
Canada’s Jewish community is once again reeling after more violence targeting Jewish institutions took place on Sunday.
Just after 8 a.m., officers were called to Kiva’s Bagel Bar near Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue after reports that a window had been struck by gunfire. Police later confirmed there was evidence that shots had been fired at the business.
Officers then responded to Kiva’s Bagel Bakery and Restaurant on Steeles Avenue West near Bathurst Street after the front door window was found shattered.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
Responding to the attacks, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the attacks "are vile and unacceptable."
”We all have a responsibility to stand against hate. I will always stand with Toronto’s Jewish community against antisemitism. We will continue to invest in community safety and the necessary work of confronting hate wherever it exists.”
The thing is, many Jews feel that Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has not taken the issue seriously.
This year, there has also been a shooting at the Temple Emanu-El synagogue in Toronto. There have been shootings at the Beth Avraham Yoseph synagogue in Thornhill and at the Shaarei Shomayim in Toronto. As well, a hateful anti-Israel Al Quds Day rally took place in Toronto, where an Islamist was seen making hand gestures that appeared to mimic stabbing and beheading, while attendees held what many viewed as grossly antisemitic signs.
Meanwhile, the mayor has expressed support for anti-Israel rhetoric, the same rhetoric whose most extreme forms fuels antisemitism.
Chow has falsely accused Israel of genocide, claiming “the genocide in Gaza impacts us all,” while drawing a parallel between affected Palestinian families and her mother's experience as a child in China during Japan's invasion in the Second World War.
Meanwhile, at the Toronto Pride parade earlier this summer, a Queers for Palestine supporter approached Chow and said, "Happy Pride, Mayor Olivia." Smiling, Chow replied, "Woah, hello. Happy Pride." The supporter then asked, "Can we get a 'Free Palestine'?" Chow responded, "Yes. Free Palestine."
For several Palestinian supporters, the term “Free Palestine” does not mean giving the Palestinians a state within a two-state solution. Rather, it means Islamic liberation from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, wiping the world’s only Jewish state off the map in the process.
So for the mayor of Toronto to proclaim "Free Palestine" at a time when her city is experiencing an unprecedented wave of antisemitism is reckless.
Amidst all of this, a National Post column concluded that "Olivia Chow has herself to blame for antisemitic violence."
What Canada needs right now is unequivocal moral leadership, and that is not what we have seen in the City of Toronto, not only from municipal politicians, but also from provincial and federal officials.
That needs to change. Otherwise, I fear the situation will not get any better.