Canadian Jewish Community Faces Death Threats, Assaults, Intimidation, according to B'nai Brith

OTTAWA – The League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada has released on April 9, 2008 its 2007 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, an annual study on patterns of prejudice in this country. In total, 1,042 incidents were reported in 2007, representing an 11.4% increase over incidents in 2006 and a more than four-fold increase in incidents over the past decade.

“The 2007 findings indicate that antisemitism is not just at the fringes of Canadian society, nor the work of a few lone bigots.” said Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “Antisemitism’s reach is far more systemic, occurring in benign places where one normally would not expect to encounter racism. This form of hatred appears to be increasing in rural areas, whereas before incidents were primarily confined to urban centres.

“Amongst the Audit findings was the progression of a disturbing trend - the cloaking of antisemitism in anti-Zionist rhetoric. This is reflected in the increasing number of incidents on campus, leading to the growing marginalization of Jewish students. We are concerned that instead of an enriching academic experience, these young people have to endure a poisoned atmosphere on campus where intimidation is becoming more commonplace.

Allan Adel, the Montreal-based National Chair of the League for Human Rights, noted the spike in Quebec incidents this year, particularly during the month of November, when the Bouchard-Taylor Commission hearings were at their height. “The controversy erupting over the Reasonable Accommodation debate has unleashed latent feelings of antisemitism amongst Quebecers, as illustrated in the open-mike hatred often expressed at the Commission hearings.

“Particularly chilling is the pattern of retaliation we have witnessed against individuals who have come forward to denounce acts of racism, and in the process have become targets themselves. When one victim is targeted for hate, an entire community is victimized as well. This form of intimidation is intended to silence the victims, perpetuating the problem of under-reporting and distorting the true magnitude of the problem.”

The full text of the Audit can be accessed at http://www.bnaibrith.ca.

Information, Karen Lazar, Communications Director:

416-633-6224 X 140 / cell: 416-312-9173

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