Dion J. Pierre
Algemeiner, May 19, 2023
“Although there was an almost insignificant decrease from last year, antisemitic incidents continue to occur at an unacceptable and dangerous pace. Frankly, the amount of hate directed at Canadian Jews is shameful.”
The number of antisemitic hate crimes in Toronto, Canada recorded in 2022 remained above pre-pandemic levels even as hate crimes declined overall, according to a new Hate Crime Statistical Report issued by Toronto Police Service (TPS).
63 incidents targeting members of the Jewish community occurred, the report said, a 50 percent increase from 2020, when there were 42. Additionally, Jews were victims in 25 percent of reported hate crimes despite being only three and a half percent of the city’s population. Blacks and LBGTQ identifying persons were the second and third most targeted groups, with hate crimes against them exceeding pre-pandemic levels also.
Most antisemitic hate crimes, 51, fell under TPS’s “mischief under $5,000” category, which represents crime against property. Others recorded include two incidents of assault and harassing communications, as well as one death threat and assault with a weapon.
“There is an observed increase in antisemitic hate crime in Canada and in major US cities over the past several years,” the report explained. “There are multiple factors that could be contributing to this increase, including political polarization and an increase in conspiracy theories and propaganda targeting the Jewish community.”
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