The Conservative Party of Canada has launched a fierce critique of the Liberal government, accusing Prime Minister Mark Carney and his predecessor Justin Trudeau of allowing antisemitism to flourish in the wake of the October 2023 Hamas massacre and the ensuing Gaza conflict. In a statement posted to X on Monday, the Tories declared, “After years of the Carney–Trudeau Liberals, antisemitism is rampant in Canada,” highlighting a series of violent assaults on the Jewish community.
Conservative MPs pointed to multiple high-profile incidents: the May 2023 Molotov cocktail attack on Vancouver’s Schara Tzedeck synagogue; repeated gunfire at Toronto’s Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School, including an assault on Yom Kippur in October 2024; and Molotov and shooting attacks on Jewish institutions in Montreal’s Dollard‑des‑Ormeaux in November 2023. Despite these blatant hate crimes, no suspects have been publicly charged, and police patrols, though increased, have yet to yield arrests.
Beyond physical violence, antisemitic slogans have echoed at rallies nationwide. Montreal demonstrators were heard calling to “eliminate Zionist aggressors,” and chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” have become fixtures at protests—phrases Jewish leaders interpret as veiled threats. Conservatives argue that the Liberals’ decision to reinstate $25 million in aid to UNRWA in March 2024—despite allegations of staff links to Hamas—amounts to funding terror, further inflaming tensions.
After years of the Carney-Trudeau Liberals, antisemitism is rampant in Canada. Synagogues are firebombed, Jewish businesses and schools are targeted and antisemitic death chants ring out in Jewish communities.
— Conservative Party (@CPC_HQ) April 1, 2025
Instead of ending these vile acts of hate, the Liberals have… pic.twitter.com/lzJEmlNkdA
Michael Levitt of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center warned of an “unprecedented” spike in antisemitism, citing B’nai Brith Canada’s data showing 5,791 incidents in 2023—more than double the previous year’s total. In response, the Conservatives have promised a Poilievre-led government will:
- Establish a National Antisemitism Task Force to coordinate federal, provincial, and municipal efforts.
- Toughen hate-crime penalties in the Criminal Code.
- Boost security funding for synagogues, Jewish schools, and community centers.
- Launch a public education campaign to combat antisemitism.
The Liberals point to Trudeau’s public denunciations—most notably at a May 2024 Holocaust remembrance event, where he decried the rise in hate crimes as “disturbing”—and existing security grants for religious sites. Yet, Conservatives insist these measures are insufficient and demand more decisive action.
As the debate intensifies, Canada’s Jewish community watches closely, hopeful that whichever party prevails will take the robust steps necessary to curb the alarming surge of antisemitism and ensure every Canadian can live and worship without fear.