Antisemitism hits an all-time high in Canada in 2006 – Overseas crises trigger ugly reaction at home

Posted On 03/21/07
Antisemitism hits an all-time high in Canada in 2006 – Overseas crises trigger ugly reaction at home

OTTAWA, March 21, 2007 – The League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada today reached a 25-year milestone with the release of its 2006 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, an annual study on patterns of prejudice in this country. In total, 935 incidents were reported in 2006, representing a 12.8% increase over incidents in 2005, and a four-fold increase over levels just ten years ago. This is the highest number ever reported to the League.

“The 2006 findings indicate that antisemitism continues to be an ever-growing threat, emerging from beneath the polite façade of multiculturalism to reveal open hatred against the Jewish people,” said Frank Dimant, B’nai Brith Canada’s Executive Vice President. “Antisemitism was even injected into the Canadian political process, where in one particular case attempts were made to discredit a candidate on the sole basis that his wife was Jewish.

“As in previous years, the Audit findings revealed a global trigger phenomenon, whereby events in the Middle East led to a dramatic upsurge of incidents here at home. At no time did this resonate more than during the summer months of July and August when the war in Lebanon was waging and incident after incident revealed a direct Middle East connection. During these months, Canadian Jews suffered a dramatic increase in incidents over the same time frame in 2005, including verbal and physical abuse and violent assaults, with perpetrators vowing ‘revenge for Lebanon’.

“For over twenty-five years our Audit has consistently shown that when one individual is singled out for hate, an entire community is targeted as well. In each of the 935 cases documented in the Audit, someone’s mother, father, spouse, child, colleague or friend was also impacted, reflecting the cold hard reality that hate-motivated activity has lasting and profound effects far beyond the immediacy of the incident itself.”

The full text of the Audit, including a Victim’s Bill of Rights for those who have experienced antisemitism or other hate-related activity, can be accessed at http://www.bnaibrith.ca/audit2006.html.
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B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights organization. Incidents of antisemitism can be reported by calling B'nai Brith's Anti-Hate Hotline at 1-800-892-BNAI (2624), or reporting online at www.bnaibrith.ca.