Former IDF Reservist Assaulted At Private TMU Event; Legal Team Alleges SJP-Linked Break-In

TORONTO — A private Students Supporting Israel (SSI) event near Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) erupted in violence last week when a mob of masked anti-Israel activists allegedly affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) forced their way inside, injuring a speaker and frightening Jewish students.

The incident occurred during SSI’s “Combat to Campus Tour,” a private educational event featuring Israeli reservists sharing their personal experiences of life and service. According to multiple reports, the intruders broke through a locked glass door, shouted anti-Israel slogans, and physically assaulted attendees before fleeing the scene.

The Tafsik Organization, a legal advocacy group representing one of the victims, confirmed that Mr. Jonathan Karten, an Israeli national and invited speaker, was “physically assaulted and sustained four lacerations necessitating stitches and a tetanus vaccination.” The statement added that one of the attackers “forcibly entered the premises by breaking through a glass door, possibly using a metallic tool such as a steel drill bit.”

Karten, who has since returned to Israel, worked with the property owner to help remove trespassers who were “verbally harassing and threatening attendees,” according to Tafsik. The organization said it is “actively reviewing all available legal avenues to pursue accountability against Students for Justice in Palestine and any individuals directly or indirectly involved in the planning or execution of this unlawful and violent conduct.”

B’nai Brith Canada, the country’s oldest Jewish human rights organization, also issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it described as “a targeted act of hate against students and their guests, carried out to intimidate and silence.”

The group said the attack “was a deliberate act of antisemitic violence designed to terrify the Jewish community” and called on TMU to take immediate disciplinary action. “Reports indicate that members of Students for Justice in Palestine, a registered TMU student group, were involved in this violent disruption,” B’nai Brith said. “Allowing a registered organization to engage in violent intimidation under TMU’s name is unacceptable and cannot be excused as free expression or protest.”

The advocacy organization demanded:

• A full investigation into the assault and resulting injuries.
• Immediate disciplinary measures against those responsible.
• Suspension and review of any TMU-recognized student groups implicated.
• Concrete guarantees for the safety of Jewish students and all campus members.

B’nai Brith warned TMU’s administration that it bears “direct responsibility” for addressing the conduct of SJP, saying, “TMU has long been aware of growing hostility toward Jewish students on and around its campus. This pattern has now escalated into violence. The University’s leadership must respond decisively and immediately.”

“Toronto Metropolitan University, we are placing you on notice,” the statement continued. “If you do not act, we will.”

TMU issued a brief statement acknowledging awareness of the incident and said it is cooperating with Toronto Police. “TMU condemns all acts of violence and intimidation,” a university spokesperson said. “The event in question was not a university-sponsored activity.”

The Toronto Police Service confirmed that multiple individuals were arrested following the disturbance and that investigators are reviewing witness statements and video evidence. Authorities are also considering whether hate-motivated elements apply.

Jewish organizations have expressed growing concern over the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents on Canadian campuses since October 2023. Students Supporting Israel said the attack demonstrates that “antisemitism has crossed from words to violence” and vowed to continue its advocacy work despite the intimidation.

“Jewish students deserve to feel safe on campus and to express their identity without fear,” an SSI TMU representative said. “We will not be silenced or intimidated by hate.”

Legal experts note that if investigators confirm that the attack targeted Jewish individuals or groups, it could constitute a hate crime under Canadian law, adding potential sentencing enhancements for those convicted.

B’nai Brith Canada emphasized that its legal and advocacy arms are monitoring the investigation closely and are prepared to pursue civil or criminal remedies if TMU fails to enforce consequences. The organization pointed to its ongoing class action against McGill University as an example of its willingness to take legal action when antisemitic harassment is ignored.

As Tafsik and B’nai Brith push for accountability, members of the Jewish community say the violence marks a disturbing escalation in anti-Israel activism on Canadian campuses. “This cannot become the new normal,” one Toronto Jewish community leader said. “Universities must take decisive action before more students are hurt.”

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This article is based on verified information from the Tafsik Organization, B’nai Brith Canada’s official statement, Toronto Police Service reports, and public statements from Students Supporting Israel and Toronto Metropolitan University.