Opinion: The Prime Minister addressed Canada’s antisemitism problem. Almost nobody was satisfied
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Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers remarks at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto on Monday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Toronto‘s Holy Blossom synagogue on Monday to address not just the Jewish community, but the nation as a whole about the scourge – his word – of antisemitism. He made it clear that the brutal – his description – targeting of the Jewish community in Canada is real and should not be tolerated. And yet, he knows, it has been.
Antisemitism has surged to its highest levels since the Second World War, Mr. Carney said. Last year, more than two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes targeted Jewish Canadians, who make up one per cent of the population.
“The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe, and it demands a targeted response,” he said. “And that is what our government is fully committed to.”
Mr. Carney acknowledged that Jewish Canadians have been let down by “Canada’s civic compact” – and thus, all Canadians have been let down.
If only that were the case.
Carney calls on Canadians to reject antisemitism that is testing country’s values
The speech was delivered with compassion and conviction. In the parlance of the day, as a Jewish Canadian, I felt seen. And I was moved by his decision to not only address antisemitism but to admit that it has gotten out of control in the country he leads.
The situation in the Middle East is complex, but what Mr. Carney was saying is not. Discrimination is wrong, period.
Yet, predictably, both sides (to be somewhat simplistic) were, to say the least, unsatisfied. Much of the criticism, online anyway, was contradictorily polarizing: To paraphrase, either Mr. Carney clearly supports Israel’s Zionist baby-killers, or Mr. Carney is an antisemitic clown who clearly hates Israel. Notably, Mr. Carney did not even utter the word “Israel.” (It did appear once in his prepared remarks, but he skipped it when he spoke.)
To some of Mr. Carney’s critics, I’m not sure if what he said in this landmark speech would have mattered. There were so many entrenched naysayers at the ready, poised for the pile-on, actual content and tone be damned.
What was particularly disheartening was the disgruntlement – even disgust – from parts of the Jewish community. Among the criticisms: Where have the Liberals been since antisemitism started bubbling up on Oct. 7, 2023, and boiling over shortly thereafter? Why would the Prime Minister deliver the speech at this particular synagogue? Why not in the House of Commons (which I agree would have been preferable)? How can the man who said he would recognize a Palestinian state speak with any credibility about antisemitism? It was a word salad, he didn’t apologize, etc.
That said, Mr. Carney’s failure to meaningfully address the elephant in the room – the connection between Israel and this current spate of antisemitism – was … strange.
Still, the Prime Minister of Canada went to a synagogue and addressed the nation about antisemitism. He was forceful and strong. His empathetic acknowledgment was the correct approach.
“The pain, the threats, the fears can appear relentless,” he said. “The horror and shame are global. Our actions must be local.”
And that’s where things fall down. Those promised (or re-stated) actions include already announced measures, such as Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act; as well as funding for projects to counter violent extremism and to protect religious institutions with increased security.
Opinion: Antisemitism has reached alarming levels. Now what?
What was actually new on Monday was the launch of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion, which replaces the former antisemitism and Islamophobia envoys. It will be chaired by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller. Many (including me) have serious doubts about the ability of this council – with members whose interests may be at odds with one another – to tackle this crisis. But it’s a start, I guess. Its first responsibility, at Mr. Carney’s direction, will be to address antisemitism.
Canada’s Jewish community, like any community, is not homogenous. There are always going to be differences of opinion. Some of the criticism is fair, but the knee-jerk sneering at the Prime Minister’s acknowledgment of Jewish Canadian pain – and his call for the rest of the country to step up – is disappointing and unproductive. The speech was not a hollow gesture, but a meaningful promise to act.
The speech, in fact, was the action. Or an action, at least.
“No Jewish Canadian should ever have to wonder whether the government sees this clearly,” said AI Minister Evan Solomon, who is Jewish. “We do. We see it, we acknowledge it, we are acting on it.”
Canada’s leader is asking the country to come together to oppose antisemitism. This should be commended, not condemned. The response to that plea tells the story of a country divided.
