May 26, 2026
OTTAWA – As the Minister of Finance prepares his budget for the coming fiscal year, B’nai Brith Canada is urging federal legislators to support its recommendations to fund efforts directed at combating antisemitism and curbing extremism.
“As a society, we must accept that our youth, as digital natives, will be exposed to online harms,” B’nai Brith wrote in a five-page submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance last week for its annual pre-budget consultations. “It is our societal responsibility to inculcate them against the dangers lurking in the digital realm.”
In its Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in Canada for the year 2025, B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights reported a 203 per cent increase in the number of antisemitic incidents tracked online since 2022.
Concerns about online harms and extremist content circulating on social media are paramount, according to Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy.
“Law enforcement and national security agencies have been warning for years about the potential for online content to radicalize young Canadians and influence the spread of hateful ideologies,” he said. “Canada must use its next Federal Budget to fund programs designed to confront this threat head-on.”
As B’nai Brith has warned, decentralized online networks such as the Maniac Murder Cult (MKY) and 764, which have been tied to criminal blackmail and sexploitation in Canada, also promote violent antisemitic ideologies. Multiple Canadian youths have been arrested in connection with these online networks, in one individual’s case after he spray-painted the Hakenkreuz on public property in Winnipeg.
During 2025, the Federal Government listed both MKY and 764 as terrorist organizations, following B’nai Brith’s advocacy.
Canada’s response to the growing influence of such hate networks should include a coordinated, national youth digital literacy program, B’nai Brith recommended. Such an initiative could be used to equip Canadian youths with the tools to recognize disinformation, hate, abuse, and manipulation on the internet.
Separately, B’nai Brith recommended the Government dedicate permanent and ongoing funding to support the work of the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and the Prevention of Violence (the Canada Centre). This unit within the Department of Public Safety plays an essential role in combating threats to Canada’s national security, including by supporting research and engaging in community outreach.
“In order for the Centre to scale its projects, it will need permanent and ongoing funding,” Robertson said. “Canada has the resources to become an international leader in the fight against extremist threats. By understanding the root causes of radicalization in our society, we can develop effective strategies to address ideologically motivated violent extremism.”
Addressing threats specifically targeting the Jewish community, however, will also require the Government to fund efforts to educate Canadian youths about antisemitism. B’nai Brith recommended a five-year program to equip the public with a stronger understanding of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which Canada adopted in 2021.
“B’nai Brith will continue to engage with leaders at all levels of government,” said Simon Wolle, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “As antisemitism continues to spiral out of control, and the digital landscape becomes polluted with increasing levels of hate, the Government must equip itself to protect Canada’s youth and its national security.”