More than 100 synagogues, Jewish organizations and doctors in multiple cities across the country were on high alert Wednesday after they received the same threatening email.
RCMP confirmed the threats were made to “a number of institutions, including synagogues and hospitals, across Canada.”“Law enforcement is also engaging with faith-based leaders to ensure they have the information and support they need,” a spokesperson for the Mounties said in a statement late Wednesday afternoon.
The RCMP said it’s working with local law enforcement to ensure locations are safe, and the Federal Policing National Security Program is investigating the source of the threats.
Several Jewish leaders said police had confirmed there was no imminent concern of physical violence but the impact of the threatening emails was still stark.
The email included threats of death and physical harm and indicated the goal was to cause “terror.”“It is absolutely chilling to hear of more than 100 Jewish institutions across the country being threatened earlier this morning,” said Michael Levitt, CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The latest threats come amid a significant rise in antisemitism in Canada following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel last fall, and Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza. B’nai Brith Canada’s annual report in May said the reports of antisemitic incidents had doubled in 2023, in Canada including 77 that were violent.“For many, many months, Canada’s Jewish community has raised alarm bells about the escalation of rampant Jew-hatred, as incitement and hateful rhetoric have become normalized online, on our city streets and on our university and college campuses,” Levitt said.“Repeated calls for violence against Jews and Jewish institutions are a stark reminder that extremism and radicalization are thriving in Canada and must be confronted before it’s too late. The time for our leaders to step up is now.”
Police in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary were among those responding to threats, but Ottawa and Montreal police both directed questions to the RCMP. In a statement, Toronto police said they had evacuated buildings in the city’s west end and investigated “for a bomb threat.”“We are continuing to address the possible impact in Toronto,” said media relations officer Shannon Eames.