Canadian Jewish Group Calls for Government to Strengthen Security After UK Synagogue Attack

A  Canadian Jewish organization is calling for more government protection after the Oct. 2 terrorist attack on a synagogue in the UK.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs made the comments in an Oct. 2 post on X, saying that Jewish Canadians were “horrified” to learn of the attack.

“Our hearts are with the families of the victims, and we pray for the full recovery of the injured,” CIJA said in the post.

It has called on all leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, to improve security for the Jewish community.

“From Ottawa and Montreal to Manchester and Washington, anti-Israel and antisemitic radicalization is fueling violence against citizens of our countries. We urgently call on leaders at all levels — including Prime Minister Carney — to strengthen security at Jewish institutions and ensure that those who incite or commit violence against Canadians are held fully accountable.”

Two people were killed on Oct. 2 in the car ramming and knife attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. UK counterterrorism police declared it a terrorist attack.

The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when worshippers traditionally spend the day fasting and in prayer.

UK police said the attacker, Jihad Al Shamie, was a British national of Syrian origin.

Carney called the attack an “appalling antisemitic atrocity.”

“Hate must be confronted in all of its forms and with all available tools. We will always protect the inalienable rights of Jewish communities to live their lives free from intimidation and threats of violence,” he said in an Oct. 2 post on X.

Conservatives say the government should be protecting the Jewish people more effectively.

“Jewish Canadians should never have to fear walking into their place of worship, sending their kids to school, or getting groceries,” Poilievre said on Aug. 29. His comments came after Ottawa police charged a 71-year-old man with a hate-motivated crime in connection with the stabbing of an elderly Jewish woman in a grocery store.

“I call on the Prime Minister to ensure there are serious consequences for those who commit or incite antisemitic crimes — including stronger hate-crime laws, and the deportation of non-Canadians who come here to spread hatred.”

Law enforcement agencies across Canada increased patrols near Jewish institutions while people gathered to observe Yom Kippur.

Statistics Canada data shows police-reported hate crimes against Jewish people climbed sharply in recent years—from 331 incidents in 2020 to a peak of 959 in 2023. In 2024, the number dipped slightly to 920.

Incidents have included firebombs at synagogues, and gunshots fired on multiple occasions at a Toronto Jewish school.

The Liberal government introduced hate crime legislation in September, which will add four new hate-related offences to the Criminal Code, including obstructing or intimidating those who seek to use faith-based institutions, and promoting through the use of “hate symbols.”

The Conservatives have raised concerns, saying the bill would remove the requirement for attorney general consent before laying hate crime charges. They say that provision is a safeguard that prevents hate speech laws from being used as a political weapon by the government of the day.

“[Attorney general consent] provides that sober second thought to make sure that this does indeed reach the bar of a hate crime,” Conservative MP Brad Redekopp said during the bill’s second reading in the House of Commons on Oct. 1. “Removing the requirement for the attorney general is maybe not the best idea.”

Justice Minister Sean Fraser said removing the provision would help hate-related incidents move faster through the courts.