Two teenagers from Ottawa plotted to bomb a pro-Israel rally in Canada, before they were arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, according to Global News this week.
The boys were arrested in December and February over a terror plot targeting Ottawa's Jewish community.
“They are alleged to have formed a plan last fall to violently attack Jewish persons in Ottawa, possibly through the detonation of an explosive device at a pro-Israel rally,” the network stated, citing the Department of Justice.
According to Global News, one of the boys was in possession of acetone, oxidizer and metal ball bearings. These are often used to construct bombs.
Global News quoted Canada's Integrated Terrorism Assessment Center as saying that the plot was linked to ISIS, but was likely "accelerated" following Hamas's massacre of October 7, 2023.
“Although radicalization of these individuals reportedly began prior to the October 2023 Hamas attack, at least one of the individuals was reportedly in contact with DAESH overseas and the arrests occurred during a period of DAESH calls to violence in response to the conflict.”
Shimon Koffler Fogel, President and CEO of The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), told the network that the news "doesn’t come as a surprise.”
“And I think it’s consistent with what we have seen across the country, where the violent and radicalized protests that have manifested themselves on our streets are losing all constraints in terms of how far they are prepared to go in order to advance their position.”
Officials concerned over public safety
Rachel Dancho, the Shadow Minister for Public Affairs, along with other Canadian MPs, wrote a joint letter to the chair of the standing committee on public safety calling for a recall of the committee "to launch an investigation to is most recent foiled terror attack."
"The government must take the rise in antisemitic violence seriously," she said.
Deborah Lyons, the special envoy for combating antisemitism, called the news "shocking but not surprising."
"Incitement needs to be taken seriously, political leaders need to take a clear stand, and the gaslighting of Jews about antisemitism they are facing, including the glorification of terrorism, must stop."