Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli claimed that Canada was unsafe for Jews following a string of antisemitic attacks in the country in a post on X/Twitter on Saturday.
"Canada is no longer safe for Jews," he wrote, saying that reassurances from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did nothing for Canada's rising antisemitism.
Canada - another day, another attack. While @JustinTrudeau, the only G7 leader who hasn’t visited Israel since Oct 7, issues hollow statements, Toronto’s BeisChaya school is shot at for the 3rd time, and Montreal synagogue is firebombed again.Canada is no longer safe for Jews. pic.twitter.com/wqln8cdUVI
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) December 21, 2024
Chikli specifically referred to repeated antisemitic attacks at a Jewish girls' elementary school, which was shot at for the third time on Friday, and Montreal Synagogue, which was firebombed for the second time on Wednesday.
Canadian MP Anthony Housefather, Trudeau's Jewish community advisor, criticized Chikli's assessment in a responding post on X/Twitter.
"Minister, this is a false and exaggerated statement," Housefather wrote, adding that while antisemitism had significantly worsened in Canada and internationally, "Canada has been and remains one of the best places in the world for Jews to live."
Rising antisemitism in Canada
Housefather is a Jewish member of parliament who represents Mount Royal, a district in Montreal with a high Jewish population. He was tapped by the prime minister to serve as a liaison to the Jewish community after Canada saw a major uptick in antisemitic attacks this summer.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs claimed that Wednesday's firebombing of Montreal's Beth Tikvah synagogue was the seventh antisemitic attack in Montreal that year.
The dispute between the two politicians comes after antisemitic events skyrocketed in Canada. Toronto Police Department alleged that 45% of hate crimes in 2024 were based in antisemitism.
B’nai Brith Canada (BBC) saw a record high of 5,791 antisemitic incidents in 2023, a 109% increase from years prior.