Harold Davis President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Allan Adel National Chair	Ruth Klein National Director of Advocacy

2004 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents

II. FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT

1) THE OVERALL PICTURE

In 2004, 857 incidents were reported to B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights, an overall increase of 46.7% over the previous year. This follows the increase of 27.2% in 2003 (584 incidents), and a jump of over 60% in 2002 (459 incidents).  Since the year 2000, the total number of incidents has increased more than three-fold. The League’s Anti-Hate Hotline is available to handle the increased demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The methodology used in the reporting process is set out in Appendix A.

In the cities with the largest Jewish populations, there were some differences to the regional picture. (For data on Jewish population in Canada see Appendix D.) Toronto saw an increase of 28.6% with 405 incidents, less than the national average in terms of the percentage increase, but the highest ever number recorded for any city in the history of the Audit.  For the province of Ontario as a whole, the 530 incidents represented an increase of 32.5%.  In Montreal, the increase was even more marked than the national average, an increase of 83.3% to a total of 187 incidents, while for the province of Quebec as a whole, there was an 88.9% increase to 204 incidents. Ottawa saw a substantial increase of 46.7% to 66 incidents, an unprecedented number for the nation’s capital.

Winnipeg experienced a three-fold increase with incidents up from 18 to 2003 to a total of 55 in 2004, another first for Manitoba’s largest city and the fourth largest Jewish community in the country. Alberta also saw a substantial increase, doubling to 33 incidents, a number never before been recorded in that province. Even the Maritimes saw a significant increase (16.7%) to 14 incidents in an area which has traditionally seen a low incidence of overt antisemitic activity.  Only in the British Columbia area was there a decrease in the number of incidents reported for 2004 (down 32% from 25 in 2003 to 17 in 2004).  For the first time, an antisemitic incident was reported in Nunavut, an area with a population of 26,745 inhabitants, but just 10 Jewish residents.

Only an estimated 10% of hate-motivated incidents are ever reported by the victims, an observation that has been noted as applicable to the victims of all types of abuse. In fact, we are told that “…of all forms of criminality, hate crimes are likely to be among the most unreported of offences.” This means that the figures cited in this year's Audit only hint at the gravity of the situation in relation to the rise of antisemitism in Canada.

One of the hallmarks of a hate crime is that the perpetrator strikes out anonymously.  Therefore, most cases of hate-motivated activity rarely result in any criminal investigation because no perpetrator can be identified. As well, they often do not meet the legal criteria for a criminal offense because the incidents fall outside the restrictive definition of a hate crime under the Criminal Code. These factors contribute to a feeling of helplessness in the victims who conclude that since there will be no recourse, contacting the police authorities will just lead to unwanted attention without any hope of relief. This helps to explain why only 45% of the incidents reported to the League in 2004 were reported to the police as well.

Victims who know their victimizers - such as children who have been targeted in the schoolyard for example - may fear they will be targeted again if they speak up. This is also the case with students on campus who have been singled out, whether inside or outside the classroom. Employees, specifically those in junior positions, may be fearful of repercussions at work. In the Orthodox sector of the Jewish community, where individuals – both male and female – are the most likely to be victimized because of their distinctive religious attire, there is often considerable reluctance to report abuse, and this represents a particular challenge in determining the true parameters of the problem.

2) CLASSIFICATION BY TYPE OF INCIDENT

Nationwide, of the 857 reported incidents Canada-wide, 457 (53.3%) were classified as harassment, 369 (43.1%) as vandalism and 31 (3.6%) as violence.  This compares to 389 cases of harassment (66.6%), 180 cases of vandalism (30.8%) and 15 cases of violence (6.3%) in 2003. An explanation of the definitions of hate-based activity used by the League to determine the appropriate classification of each incident can be found in Appendix B.

Cases involving violence occurred in Montreal (10), Toronto (14), Ottawa (2), Regional Ontario [excluding Ottawa and Toronto] (2) and the Maritimes (1). In fact, the most substantial increases were noted in the categories of both violence and vandalism, where the numbers doubled on average. In Toronto, there were 14 incidents of violence compared to 10 the year before, while in Ottawa the number jumped from only one case in 2003 to a total of four incidents in the past year. Other regional variations should be noted. In Quebec (excluding the area of Montreal), as well as in the province of Saskatchewan and the city of Ottawa, reports of vandalism constituted the highest portion of incidents (64.7%, 66.7 % and 50% respectively).

Table 1: Total Incidents in Canada - Breakdown by Incident Categories

In addition, a trend identified in 2003 towards more threatening messaging in harassment cases continued apace in 2004.  In 2003, the data had showed an increase in threats of physical violence in the harassment category, as opposed to generalized hate propaganda – i.e., 110 of the 389 (28%) cases of harassment involved threatening messaging.  The 2004 figures show that 150 of the 457 (33%) cases of harassment involved threats of physical harm, including death threats. This is suggestive of a disturbing trend in public discourse which indicates a new comfort level with this type of threatening messaging.  Early in 2004, messages on the doors of Holocaust survivors and others in an area with a large Jewish population used the wording “Jewz suk”, an almost juvenile turn of phrase. However, as the year progressed, the motifs became more violent, as seen in the graffiti on a busy community centre which read: “Death to the Jews”.

There were 40 incidents targeting synagogues, marking a significant increase (74%) over the 23 synagogue incidents in 2003. These incidents included synagogues in Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Mississauga, St. John’s and Windsor. There were also 25 incidents targeting Jewish communal buildings (up from 22 in 2003).  There was more than a three-fold increase in cases involving cemetery desecrations - up from three cases in 2003 to ten in 2004. These took place in Winnipeg, Toronto, London, Brantford, Montreal and Quebec City. Incidents against Jewish homes - as opposed to public settings or community sites - increased from 95 to 151 (59%). This is a particularly worrying development, indicating a willingness to identify and target Jews in their own homes.

There were 47 incidents relating to Internet sites (32 in 2003), which represents just the tip of the iceberg in terms of hate material on the web hosted on Canadian-based sites.  A further 37 involved hate by e-mail (compared to 33 in 2003), in which the perpetrator managed to obtain the victim's personal e-mail address and use it to invade personal space and privacy.

Jewish students - often visible Jews - were targeted in 47 reported antisemitic incidents on campus (46 in 2003). 2004 saw the continuation of a trend - by now well established - whereby inflammatory anti-Israel campaigns are mounted, with rallies and events that demonize the Jewish State and delegitimize its existence, as well implicitly endorsing violence and terrorism against its citizens. As well, speakers disseminating Holocaust denial have been welcomed on campus. At the same time, Jewish students have not been able to host speakers of their choice, as was the case at Concordia University.

The poisoned atmosphere that has been created has led to incidents that have included desecration of Jewish symbols, antisemitic graffiti, the dissemination of literature likely to cause hatred, antisemitic canards by university faculty members, and intimidation and physical assaults against Jewish students. This situation has led to B'nai Brith Canada launching a complaint against Concordia University, which is currently before the Quebec Human Rights Commission, and maintaining a watching brief on several other institutions which have ignored or condoned what is becoming a growing problem. Meanwhile, hate-motivated activity against Jewish students is increasingly being treated as commonplace.

There were particularly worrying increases in other sectors that bear further scrutiny. For example, 66 incidents took place in the public school system, up from only 22 in 2003.

This three-fold increase suggests a growing trend within the school system towards acting out on prejudices and biases, and clearly speaks to the need for zero tolerance on the part of educators and administrators. As well, there is a need for diversity training and human rights education for both staff and pupils. These are areas that have been sorely neglected in past years, principally due to budget restraints. Since schools serve as the incubators for society, further investigation is clearly warranted into where this prejudice is emanating from, whether it involves home-based biases or is being absorbed in community or religious-based settings. As well, concrete action plans are needed to counter the infiltration of hate into our schools, together with increased funding to make them happen.

A further 47 incidents took place in workplace settings, more than doubling from the 2003 figure of 23.  Out of these incidents, which included harassment and vandalism, 27 related to systemic problems, as compared to 19 in 2003. This is clearly a retrograde step given the advances that have been made in recent years towards creating a discrimination-free workplace. Clearly, training is required so that diversity can be managed in the workplace, and employers understand and honour their obligations to provide a supportive and equitable workplace.

In early 2004, controversy raged about Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" and whether its provocative and sensationalist approach would revive age-old depictions of the Jew as the "Christ killer". While it is too early to assess the long term effects of Gibson's ultra-violent rendition, especially on those viewers still in their formative years, there are some interesting findings in this year's Audit. Whereas only nine incidents in 2003 had religious connotations to the story of Jesus' death, there were 32 such incidents in 2004, nine of them in February when the movie opened and a further fifteen in the three months following its release.

There is another disturbing finding that has negative implications for inter-community relations. The ethnic origin of the perpetrators was analyzed where possible, but it should be stressed that only in some cases is it possible to identify such characteristics, principally where there is a face-to-face encounter and the perpetrator self identifies. In 2004, as in 2003, the single most active group in carrying out antisemitic incidents was found to be made up of persons who identified themselves as Arab. In fact, the number in this category more than doubled from 36 in 2003 to 80 in 2004.

There are a number of ways to respond to this finding. It is to be hoped that the community in question will decide to acknowledge rather then deny that such a problem exists, and seek strategies within its own community and educational structures to reverse this alarming trend. A solution cannot be imposed from the outside.

Indeed, there has been unwillingness in the wider community to admit that any such problem exists. That could explain why, during the Senate hearings on antisemitism on April 19, 2004, Professor Stephen Scheinberg, a former National Chair of the League for Human Rights and a renowned expert on antisemitism, was prevented from presenting evidence on the grounds that antisemitic propaganda emanating from a Muslim community organization was irrelevant to the discussions. Senators Mobina Jaffer and Madelaine Plamondon interrupted Professor Scheinberg and would not allow him to present or explain his evidence. Their move to dissolve the proceedings was supported by the Chair of the committee, Senator Shirley Maheu. To date, the committee hearings have not been re-opened and there is still no resolution condemning antisemitism by the Canadian Senate. And yet, there is an undeniable nexus between antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, which plays itself out in increased anti-Jewish activity, a phenomenon that can no longer be ignored.

In this regard, an interesting insight was offered by Mr. Doudou Diène, the UN Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination:

“In reality, hostility towards Jews arises in a new context in which new forms of anti-Semitism, linked to the Middle East conflict, are overlaid on top of traditional anti-Semitism, which is deeply rooted in the history of Europe.”

There are often considerable efforts to deny the truth in Mr. Diène’s observations. The methodology used in this Audit makes a clear distinction between anti-Israel rhetoric and anti-Jewish activity in terms of counting antisemitic incidents. However, it is also sensitive to the fact that anti-Israel sentiment, whether it includes the de-legitimization and demonization of the Jewish State or the use of double standards to condemn it, is often accompanied by inflammatory statements that foster prejudice and bigotry against Jews in general.

3) PATTERNS OF OCCURRENCE

Out of the total of 857 incidents, more than half (54.7%) took place between March and June 2004. The highest monthly total - 156 incidents - occurred in March, representing close to one-fifth of the entire year’s total. Vandalism in this month accounted for almost one-third of the total of reported cases in this category (99 out of 369). The next highest month was April, with 119 incidents. (See Appendix E for more detailed data by month.)

Most of the incidents for March took place in the latter half of the month, with one-third in the last ten days. This latter period coincides with Israel's assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the so-called “spiritual” leader of Hamas, following a double suicide bombing by the terror group on March 14, 2004 in the port of Ashdod. While the attack killed ten Israelis and wounded many more, it appeared to be aimed at the port's fuel and chemical storage facilities with the goal of targeting a much wider civilian population.

The total number of incidents for March and April combined - 275 - amounted to close to one-third of the incidents for 2004. This timeframe as a whole corresponds to a period of heightened activity by Hamas and the resulting counter-terrorism operations by Israel, including the assassination of Yassin and, subsequently on April 19, 2004, of the leader who replaced him, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. The spike in March, and the continuation of heightened antisemitic activity well into April, could well be explained by a dynamic that saw elements sympathetic to Hamas - which has been outlawed as a terrorist organization by Canada - acting out their anger against individual Jews or community targets.

Hamas had stepped up its terror attacks on Israel right at the start of 2004, mostly notably perhaps as far as Canadians are concerned, in the suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus on January 29, 2004 that claimed Canadian-born Yechezkel Goldberg as one of its 11 victims. The resulting coverage of Goldberg’s Toronto-based family and its grief focused media attention on the entire Jewish community. This traumatic incident may have helped set the scene for the pattern of the coming months since, as noted in the past, whenever issues relating to Jews are in the public eye, unwelcome attention often ensues.

In 2003, it was suggested that the causes for the cluster of antisemitic incidents were international as well as domestic.  Events leading up to the Iraq war, which prompted a wide range of groups to take to the streets in strident protest, were identified as a possible explanation for that year's pattern of incidence.  In 2004 as well, the first anniversary of the Iraq War on March 15th provided a focal point for ongoing protests that generated increased anti-Jewish activity. Anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-Jewish themes are commonly combined by anti-war protesters.

As noted by the League in the past, events abroad during key time frames, particularly in the Middle East region, contribute to an increase in anti-Jewish activity, even if they are not directly related to Israel or to Jews. The Iraq War in one such example. By the same token, continuous media coverage of issues relating to Israel tends to put the Jewish community on the radar screen for people with latent antisemitic tendencies.

Throughout 2004, a major news item was Israel's security barrier and the attention given to this issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. There was much anti-Israel rhetoric relating to this issue between the time the case was sent to the ICJ in March and the release of its advisory opinion on July 9, 2004. This timeframe coincides with a period of increased antisemitic activity.

Anti-Israel incidents are not included in the Audit unless there is an anti-Jewish component. This would necessitate the victim or victim group being targeted on an almost reflexive basis simply because of their Jewish name or appearance, or their perceived support for Israel. Incidents connected to tensions in the Middle East are included when they feature demonization of the Jewish State manipulated in such a way as to allege supposed character flaws or corrupt value systems in Jews and/or Judaism.

4) REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF INCIDENTS

Incidents were reported once again across the country, including one in Nunavut for the first time ever.  The most significant statistics were once again collected in Quebec and Ontario, areas of residence for the majority of Canadian Jews. 

In Ontario, there were 530 incidents, 405 of which took place in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).  In Quebec there were 204 incidents, of which 187 took place in Montreal.

Table 2: Antisemitic Incidents - Detailed Breakdown for Regions

Regional Ontario

In regional Ontario (not including Greater Toronto or the National Capital Region), there were 59 cases in 2004, compared to 40 in 2003. This represents a 47.5% increase in antisemitic incidents for the region. These incidents included serious acts of harassment and acts of vandalism. As well, there were two acts of violence.

Table 3: Breakdown for Ontario — by Type of Incident

*Ontario region — figures for all of Ontario excluding GTA and National Capital area (Ottawa).
**Toronto region — includes former municipalities as well as areas bordering on Toronto: Markham, Thornhill and Richmond Hill in York Region, and Brampton, Newmarket and Mississauga in Peel.

Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

There were 405 incidents of antisemitism reported in 2004 in the GTA, including death threats, bomb threats, physical assaults, serious acts of vandalism and acts of desecration. Toronto has consistently been the highest reporting area and this is reflected in the fact that the GTA figure represents 47.3% of the total number of incidents for 2004.  These figures represent a 28.6% increase in the number of reported incidents in 2004 as compared with the 2003 figure, on top of the 45.2% increase from 2003 to 2002.  The incidents showed a strong shift to more violent and public displays of hatred, as well as a move away from harassment towards increased vandalism. There were also 14 cases of violence compared to the 10 reported in 2003, representing a one-year increase of 40%.

National Capital Region

There were 66 antisemitic incidents in Ottawa, including graffiti, vandalism and public displays of hate propaganda, representing an increase of 46.7% when compared to the 2003 figures. There were four incidents of violence, up from just one in the year before while vandalism rose by 50% and the harassment category showed a 31.8% increase.

Regional Quebec

Incidents in Regional Quebec rose substantially, increasing from six to 17 incidents (almost a three-fold increase).  Vandalism and harassment cases both increased significantly (from three to 11 vandalism cases, while harassment rose from three to six cases).  There were no cases in the category of violence.

Table 4: Breakdown for Quebec — by Type of Incident

Greater Montreal

There were 187 antisemitic incidents reported in Greater Montreal, representing an increase of 83.3% from 2003.  While cases of vandalism showed a relatively modest increase of 23.7% (59 in 2003 vs. 73 in 2004), the categories of harassment and violence showed substantial increases. The number of violent incidents reported moved up from four incidents in 2003 to ten cases in 2004 (an increase of 150%), while harassment went up from 39 cases in 2003 to 104 in 2004 (an increase of 166.7%).

Manitoba

Winnipeg, where the majority of Jews in Manitoba reside, was the source of all the incidents for Manitoba in 2004. The number of incidents more than tripled from 18 in 2003 to 55 in 2004. Vandalism cases rose almost seven-fold from three in 2004 to 20 in 2003, while harassment cases were up by 133.3% (35 vs. 15 in 2003).  No cases of violence were reported this year. Five of the cases of vandalism involved synagogues.

Saskatchewan

There were three incidents in Saskatchewan, two in Saskatoon – one of vandalism and one of harassment - and one case of vandalism in Regina. In 2003, a total of five incidents were reported, four of which involved harassment.

Alberta

Alberta showed a significant jump in the number of incidents, more than doubling from 16 in 2003 to 33 in 2004.  This increase was on top of a significant jump in 2003 compared to 2002.  Harassment increased significantly from eight incidents in 2003 to 23 incidents in 2004, while there were ten cases of vandalism, up from eight the year before.  There were no cases of violence reported in the region.  Eight of the 33 cases occurred in Calgary, one in Grand Prairie and the remaining 24 cases in Edmonton.

British Columbia

The number of incidents reported decreased from 25 to 17 (a 32% drop). The incidents took place in the cities of Vancouver and Victoria.

The Maritimes

There were 14 reported antisemitic incidents in the Maritimes in 2004, compared to 12 in 2003 and just two in 2002. Four of the 2004 incidents took place in New Brunswick, seven in Nova Scotia and three in Newfoundland.  One of the incidents in Newfoundland involved the vandalism of a local synagogue.

To sum up, the following table provides a detailed breakdown of the change in the regional distribution of incidents from 2003 to 2004.

Table 5: 2004 vs. 2003 Regional breakdown

2) Examples of Incidents

JANUARY

Toronto ON

A two-meter high swastika was painted on a building housing the offices of a Jewish organization.

Montreal QB

A hate message was received by a Jewish organization: “Next time a Palestinian dies, I am going to sever the jugular of a motherfucking kike”.

Saskatoon SK

A mezuzah was ripped off a Jewish home and the message “Free Palestine” scrawled in its place.

Toronto ON

Antisemitic remarks were made during a student council meeting at York University following a heavily contested election in which Jewish candidates were successful.

Winnipeg AB

A caller to a Jewish organization blamed Jews and “Jewish money” for problems his children were facing.

Saint John NB

A non-Jewish musician was physically attacked after a performance by two individuals who thought he was Jewish.

Cambridge ON

Graffiti on a city street proclaimed, “Help save the world. Kill the Jews.”

Ranklin Inlet NU

A nurse in a local health network repeatedly targeted a Jewish doctor with antisemitic slurs.

FEBRUARY

Toronto ON

Text messages were sent to many Jews stating, “Hi just wanted to say White Power! To all you Christ-murdering Jews”.

Montreal QB

A university student called out in a crowded area, “I am not an Arab but I Fucking hate Jews, man”.

Toronto ON

Messages blaming Jews for the death of Jesus were found spray painted opposite a building for Jewish seniors and on a private residence.

Montreal QB

A caller to a Jewish organization exclaimed, “We don’t need Mel Gibson’s film to hate you!”

Toronto ON

Antisemitic messaging was placed on a university website forum operated by a professor for his course. “You're a fucken jew...that’s enough to be ashamed forever... all you guys ever do is complain about how you are jews...you should just fucken kill yourselves cause if i was born a jew id hate myself... 6 million people died in the nazi concentration camps without even fighting back...[sic]”

 

MARCH

Toronto ON

A Jewish man was assaulted by the occupants of a passing vehicle.

Montreal QB

Numerous mezuzahs were ripped off the front doors of private residences.

Hamilton ON

The windows of a building on Jewish cemetery grounds were smashed.

Toronto ON

An antisemitic weekend spree of vandalism included acts of vandalism, graffiti and the overturning of 27 gravestones.

Edmonton AB

A complaint was made against an ethnic newspaper serving the Arab community regarding articles denigrating the Jewish community and its leaders, and containing references to Holocaust denial.

Toronto ON

Antisemitic/neo-Nazi graffiti was scrawled at a university campus.

Vancouver BC

A visiting Israeli diplomat was heckled with antisemitic slurs while visiting a local university campus.

Victoria BC

The campus office of a Jewish student group was vandalized.

Thornhill ON

Homes and cars in a heavily Jewish neighborhood were defaced with antisemitic graffiti, including swastikas and slurs such as “Jewz suk [sic]”.

Toronto ON

A senior citizen was harassed on a public transit bus, “Your son should be in Dachau”.

Thornhill ON

Antisemitic flyers and ads were inserted into a local ethnic newspaper and distributed.

Montreal QB

An Arab student at an adult educational facility announced to other students, “Now we’re going to kill all the Jews”.

Brantford ON

Tombstones were defaced and overturned in a small Jewish cemetery.

Toronto ON

A public school teacher made an antisemitic joke to his students.

APRIL

Montreal QB

Visible Jews were physically assaulted by youth who identified themselves as Arabs.
Toronto ON Flyers were distributed suggesting that "the end" is coming, with calls to “slay and kill all Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos and homosexuals” as “true sinners”.

Toronto ON

Flyers were distributed suggesting that "the end" is coming, with calls to “slay and kill all Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos and homosexuals” as “true sinners”.

 

St. John’s NF

Windows of the only synagogue were smashed following earlier threats against its President.

Toronto ON

Election signs of Jewish federal candidates were defaced with swastikas.

Victoria BC

Antisemitic conspiracy theories alleging Jewish control of the government appeared in a neo-con publication.

Toronto ON

A restaurant patron swore at a Jewish girl sitting nearby, shouting “you fucking Jewish murderers”.

Winnipeg MB

A synagogue was defaced with antisemitic graffiti and its windows were smashed.

Ottawa ON

Arab youth threatened a visibly Jewish teen on public transit with cries of, “Die Jews, Die. Fuck you, Jew”.

 

Montreal QB

A Jewish elementary school was firebombed on the eve of the holiday of Passover.

Edmonton AB

The walls of a synagogue were splattered with paint.

Toronto ON

Phone calls threatening physical violence were made to Jewish homes.

Winnipeg MB

Swastikas and the word “Jew” were painted on the door of a restaurant owned by a Jew.

Ottawa ON

“Kill all Jews” was spraypainted in a local park.

MAY

Montreal QB

Tombstones in a Jewish cemetery were defaced with swastikas, SS symbols and “Heil Hitler”.

Saskatoon SK

Antisemitic, anti-immigrant material was distributed at a local discount store.

Montreal QB

A bomb threat was made against a Jewish organization.

Winnipeg MB

Threats of violence were made against a Jewish day school.

Kitchener ON

A visble Jew was verbally harassed and threatened by teens outside a public school.

London ON

Antisemitic material, including Hitler's Mein Kampf, was sold in a local bookstore and the owner refused to remove it.

Quebec City QB

A Jewish senior citizen received threats that a "civil war" against Jews was coming.

Montreal QB

A convoy of cars drove through a predominantly orthodox Jewish neighborhood, its passengers waving Palestinian flags and shouting antisemitic epithets.

St. John’s NF

A website operated by a local teenager posted hate-filled references comments about Jews.

Montreal QB

Eggs were thrown from a passing car at visibly orthodox Jewish children.

Montreal QB

Flyers were found in public school yards and elsewhere calling for “Killing Juis any wear you find them [sic].”

Ottawa ON

“Die Jew, fuck niggers”, swastikas and “White Aryans” were spray painted on a bridge in a public area.

Montreal QB

An ultra-orthodox Chassidic man was assaulted and threatened when walking home from synagogue by a group of young men who identified themselves as Arabs.

JUNE

Hamilton ON

Antisemitic graffiti appeared in a university library, including “Kill the Jews”.

Toronto ON

A Jewish public transit driver was threatened by a passenger and told, “Hitler was right about the Jews”.

Quebec City QB

In Quebec City's only Jewish cemetery, 28 tombstones were overturned.

Montreal QB

A caller to a radio show repeated antisemitic conspiracy theories, alleging such things as Jewish control of Washington.

Guelph ON

A Jewish applicant was chased away by a landlord who set his dog on him. “We Austrians know all about you people …Go back home… We used dogs in Germany”.

Ottawa ON

A Rabbi received a threatening letter at his personal residence stating, “Die, Die Jews”.

Montreal QB

Antisemitic material, including Mein Kampf, was offered for sale at a university bookstore.

Newmarket ON

Swastikas along with antisemitic slurs were carved into vehicles.

Unionville ON

Antisemitic and anti-Black graffiti, as well as swastikas, were spraypainted overnight on private homes, businesses and public property in a 21-case rash of vandalism.

Montreal QB

Antisemitic remarks such as “Fucken jew” and “Jewish bastard” were made to a poll supervisor during the federal election

Toronto ON

A Jewish home was defaced with a three-foot high swastika and the epitaph “RIP” (Rest in Peace).

JULY

Halifax NS

A swastika was painted with black tar on a city sidewalk.

Montreal QB

A caller to a Jewish volunteer organization said, “If Hitler had finished the job, we would have peace on earth.”

Edmonton AB

A shop clerk repeated anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to a customer, alleging that Jews control the world and have all the money.

Toronto ON

Antisemitic remarks were made by a customs officer at Pearson International Airport to a passenger returning from a visit to Israel, including the statement that "all Jews are rich".

Hull QB

Kill all Jews” was spraypainted on the sidewalk and on street signs.

Montreal QB

Antisemitic messages posted on the web to welcome the visit of French comedian Dieudonné to Canada used such language as “Criss de Juif”.

AUGUST

Toronto ON

Antisemitic graffiti was spraypainted at a downtown university campus including the words, “Too many lost lives for Jews”.

Vancouver BC

In connection with a refusal by a condominium corporation to allow Jewish residents to erect succahs, a council member remarked, “Bring it on, we're not going to allow anyone who is Jewish to do anything here”.

Montreal QB

A visibly religious Jew was spat on as he walked in a park.

Barrie ON

Summer homes were defaced with swastikas and windows were smashed in an area with many Jewish-owned cottages.

Montreal QB

“Do a Jew” was scrawled in a university dormitory room.

Calgary AB

Antisemitic graffiti was found along busy streets on two separate occasions.

SEPTEMBER

Mississauga ON

Antisemitic comments were made to Jewish students in a university residence common area, in which Jews were referred to as “murderers and criminals”.

Orangeville ON

Swastikas and KKK graffiti were spraypainted on private property and homes.

Toronto ON

“Die Jew” was etched into a car on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur while it was parked outside the owner's home.

Montreal QB

A French newspaper reporter was accused of being a "lobbyist for Jews" after speaking out against antisemitism in Canada.

Winnipeg MB

Flyers containing Holocaust denial messaging were plastered on cars.

OCTOBER

Toronto ON

Threatening e-mail was received by a Jewish organization saying, “Jews should keep their big noses out of things or have them cut off”.

Hamilton ON

A Jewish campus group received antisemtic e-mail containing a poster with the wording, “Jesus and Hitler told the truth about the Jews”.

Vancouver BC

Recorded sermons of an Imam posted on a website preached that Jews were the “brothers of the monkeys and swine”.

Toronto ON

Objects were hurled at Jews leaving a local synagogue after evening prayer services.

Thornhill ON

A synagogue was defaced with crosses.

Toronto ON

A Minister on a local television channel alleged there was a “Jewish plot for world control”.

Winnipeg MB

An antisemitic song posted over the Internet pirated the Elvis Presley tune “It's only make believe”. The altered lyrics referred to “my only prayer is that one day I will share the truth about the Jews . . . how they hate us so.”

NOVEMBER

Toronto ON

Articles appeared in the Hungarian-language ethnic press denying the Holocaust and denigrating the Jewish community.

Bolton ON

The only Jewish child in a public school was physically assaulted by a group of boys who referred to themselves as a “Nazi gang”.

Mississauga ON

A Jewish student was required by his professor to identify his country of origin and religious background, and was subsequently confronted with antisemitic remarks by fellow students.

Montreal QB

An encrypted message appeared in the yearbook of a private school calling for “Death to all Jews”.

Toronto ON

A Jewish organization received a telephone call warning of a bomb threat against "Jewish interests" in the Toronto area.

Montreal QB

A woman wearing a Jewish religious symbol was harassed and threatened on public transit by students who identified themselves as Arabs. She had to leave the subway car in order to avoid a threatened assault.

Edmonton AB

An individual was charged with operating an antisemitic and racist website.

DECEMBER

London ON

Jewish university students were subjected to anti-Jewish slurs when passing a display by Palestinian students on Israel's security barrier.

Calgary AB

A Jewish home was spraypainted with the graffiti: “Hitler Rules” on two occasions. The home was identified as Jewish because candles were on display in the window to mark holiday of Chanukah.

Montreal QB

A visible Jew was harassed at a shopping mall by teenagers who called him a “dirty Jew”.

Toronto ON

Hate messages were spraypainted on a bridge to a busy Jewish Community Centre, including “Death to the Jews” and a depiction of a noose with a Jewish star on it.

Montreal QB

As she left a kosher bakery, a visibly Jewish woman only just managed to avoid being knocked over by a car, while the occupants, who wore head scarves (kaffiyehs), laughed and clapped.

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