
Canadian Jewish organizations condemn Colorado attack, call for more action at home
In the wake of another antisemitic attack in the U.S., organizations representing the Canadian Jewish community condemned the incident and renewed their call for governments to take concrete steps to prevent more like it.
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On Sunday in Boulder, Col., eight people were injured, some with serious burns, when 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly used Molotov cocktails and an improvised flamethrower on a small group of people assembled to raise attention for the remaining 58 Israeli hostages in Gaza.
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Abraham Global Peace Initiative CEO and founder Avi Benlolo said he was saddened by the incident, but 'not surprised.'
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It's the byproduct, he said, of demonstrators becoming 'much more hostile, much more desperate' in an effort to seek attention. And he thinks it's only going to escalate.
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'I think we're going to see more Colorados,' he told National Post Monday.
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In a post to X, B'nai Brith Canada called it 'a cowardly act of hate filled violence' and suggested this and other recent antisemitic attacks 'are emblematic of what happens when radical extremism is allowed to flourish and when hatred is incited without consequence.'
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B'nai Brith Canada stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in Boulder, Colorado. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack.
Targeting a group that was peacefully gathered to call for the release of the hostages is a cowardly act of hate filled…
— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) June 1, 2025
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Less than two weeks ago in Washington, D.C., two Israeli Embassy staff members — Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26 — were shot and killed by a gunman who later yelled 'Free Palestine' while being arrested.
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Hamas's infiltration of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — during which 1,195 people were killed and 251 more were taken hostage — and the Israeli military's response have led to a wave of antisemitic attacks in Western countries, including Canada.
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And while there haven't been any hate crimes resulting in the deaths of Jewish people in Canada, there has been a marked increase in other offences in the 19 months since hostilities began with the terrorist group in Gaza.
In 2023, of the 1,284 hate crimes targeting a religion — a jump of 67 per cent from 2022 — 900 were against Jewish people, that's over 70 per cent of all hate crimes and a 71 per cent increase over the previous year, according to Statistics Canada police-reported hate crime data.
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There were more than four times as many antisemitic hate crimes as the second-most targeted religious minority, Muslims.
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In Toronto, antisemitic hate crime spiked 76 per cent in 2023 over the year prior, with almost 68 of the 146 occurring after October, per the Toronto Police public safety data portal.
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That figure climbed 20.5 per cent in 2024 with 176 reported hate crimes targeting Jewish people, which represented 81 per cent of all religion bias hate offences.
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That includes three shootings at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School in North York — which was unoccupied at the time — and vandalism at the Kehillat Shaarei Torah synagogue, among other unpublicized incidents.
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In response to Sunday's events, Toronto police said Monday officers would continue to maintain a heightened presence around places of worship, community centres, schools and other faith-based locations as they have since the Washington attack.
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Canada Standard
44 minutes ago
- Canada Standard
Pakistani citizen extradited to US for alleged ISIS-linked terror plot: FBI Director Kash Patel
Washington, DC [US], June 11 (ANI): Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, has been extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a post on social media platform 'X'. 'Earlier this afternoon, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, was extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism. In the fall of last year, Khan allegedly planned to travel from Canada to New York and carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish Center in Brooklyn. Khan allegedly planned his attack to occur on October 7, 2024 -- the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel,' Patel stated. 'Thankfully, the great work of FBI teams and our partners exposed those plans and shut them down -- and Khan was arrested by Canadian authorities on September 4, 2024. He has now arrived in the U.S. and will face American justice,' he said. Calling the case a reminder of the 'constant threat of terrorism facing every corner of the world,' Patel also warned about the 'disturbing rise in threats against our Jewish communities.' He acknowledged the efforts of multiple FBI field offices, saying: '@NewYorkFBI, @FBIChicago and @FBILosAngeles did great work in this case with our partners and we thank them.' The investigation highlights ongoing global efforts to counter terrorism. (ANI)


Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Poll suggests half of Canadians believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
OTTAWA – A new poll suggests that nearly half of Canadians believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza almost two years after the current conflict began. In a survey conducted last weekend, the polling firm Leger asked Canadians and Americans a series of questions about the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Leger surveyed 1,511 Canadians and 1,011 Americans between June 6 and June 8. The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples. The polling comes as the federal government is under pressure to take concrete steps to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Leger asked respondents whether they 'agree or disagree that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip' based on how they 'define what constitutes a genocide.' The UN declared genocide a crime under international law in 1946. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines it as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. That can include killing members of the group, causing them serious injury, deliberately inflicting conditions that can be dangerous to their lives, imposing measures to prevent births within the group, or forcibly transferring children from the group to another group. Just less than half of the Canadian respondents, 49 per cent, said they agree that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, including 23 per cent who said they strongly agree and 26 per cent who said they somewhat agree. Another 21 per cent said they disagree with the claim that Israel is committing genocide — 10 per cent said they somewhat disagree and 11 per cent said they strongly disagree. The remaining 30 per cent said they didn't know or refused to answer. Conservative supporters were the least likely to say they believe Israel is committing genocide, with 37 per cent agreeing with the statement and 33 per cent disagreeing. More than 60 per cent of Liberal, NDP, Green Party and Bloc Québécois supporters said they agree Israel's actions amount to genocide. The poll was conducted just days before the Canadian government took action against Israeli cabinet ministers it accuses of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. On Tuesday, a group of five countries including Canada announced sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The five countries accused the ministers of calling for the displacement of Palestinians and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Last month, an open letter from Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza and called the level of suffering in the territory 'intolerable.' The letter threatened concrete actions if the Israeli government did not allow more food aid into Gaza and end its military operations there. It also called on Hamas to release its remaining hostages. In response to the genocide question, 38 per cent of Americans polled said they agree Israel is committing genocide, while 26 per cent said they disagree and 36 per cent said they don't know. Supporters of the Democrats – 52 per cent – and Americans under the age of 35 – 53 per cent – were the most likely to call the situation in Gaza a genocide. More than half of Canadians, 54 per cent, said they don't follow news about the Middle East or the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. Just nine per cent said they're following news about the Gaza conflict very closely, and another 35 per cent said they're following somewhat closely. American respondents reported almost the same levels of engagement. Despite that, 49 per cent of Canadians and 54 per cent of American respondents said they feel they have a very good or fairly good understanding of the conflict in Gaza. Opinions on mainstream media reporting about the conflict were evenly split, with 20 per cent of Canadian respondents saying they feel the media has been 'generally balanced.' Another 20 per cent said they feel the coverage has been more favourable toward Palestinians and 21 per cent said it was more favourable to Israel. American respondents reported almost identical responses. Many Canadians surveyed were pessimistic about the possibility of a peaceful resolution. When asked whether they believe that lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians can be reached, 41 per cent of Canadian respondents said no, 28 per cent said yes and 31 per cent said they don't know. Canadian respondents over age 55 were the least optimistic — 51 per cent of them said a lasting peace cannot be achieved. Americans were more evenly split, with 34 per cent saying they think peace is out of reach and 33 per cent saying it can be achieved. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. — With files from David Baxter This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.


Toronto Sun
7 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Israeli navy attacks rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeida
Published Jun 10, 2025 • 4 minute read This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo) AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel's navy attacked docks in Yemen's rebel-held port city of Hodeida on Tuesday, launching its first seaborne assault against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels while warning more could come. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The attack on Hodeida likely damaged facilities that are key to aid shipments to the hungry, war-wracked nation, but also have allegedly been used for weapons smuggling as vessels reportedly bypass United Nations inspectors. Both Israel and the United States have struck ports in the area in the past — including an American attack that killed 74 people in April — but Israel is now acting alone in attacking the rebels as they continue to fire missiles at Israel over its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned his country's 'long arm in the air and at sea will reach everywhere.' 'We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to fire at Israel they will face a powerful response and enter a naval and air blockade,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But on Tuesday night, Israel's military said 'a missile launched from Yemen was most likely intercepted' as explosions could be heard in Jerusalem, likely from interceptor fire. The Houthis later claimed firing missiles at Israel and warned future attacks would come from 'different directions,' without elaborating. Israeli attack again targets Hodeida port The Israeli attack struck Hodeida, some 150 km southwest of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on the Red Sea on Tuesday morning. The Houthis offered no immediate damage assessment and there were no videos immediately released by their al-Masirah satellite news channel. 'It has no effect even on the morale of our people, who take to the streets weekly … in support of Gaza,' wrote Nasruddin Amer, the deputy head of the Houthis' media office. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Israeli military said missile boats carried out the attack. It marked a departure for Israel, which previously relied on airstrikes to target the Houthis. Hodeida is over 1,900 km south of Israel's southern tip, requiring the Israeli military to use aerial refueling to conduct those strikes. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Israel's navy, with over 9,000 sailors, has been mainly deployed in the Mediterranean Sea since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel began the war. 'The strikes were carried out to stop the use of the port for military purposes,' the Israeli military said, without offering a damage assessment from the attack. 'The port is used to transfer weapons and is a further example of the Houthi terrorist regime's cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Already, Israel has destroyed all the aircraft used by Yemen's state carrier, Yemenia, in strikes on Sanaa International Airport. Hodeida key for aid, but weapons smuggling rumors growing Hodeida is the main entry point for food and other humanitarian aid for millions of Yemenis since the war began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's exiled government considered trying to retake Hodeida by force in 2018, but ultimately decided against it as international criticism and worries about the port being destroyed grew. A United Nations mission operates in Hodeida, while another screens ships off Djibouti. However, those inspections appear to be no longer catching all vessels heading into Hodeida. A UN experts report last year wrote about receiving a tip about vessels reaching the Hodeida area to 'unload significant quantities of military materiel.' The Houthis also are believed to use an overland route as well via the Gulf of Aden to smuggle in weapons. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Iran denies directly arming the Houthis, though United Nations experts, western nations and analysts have linked weapons in the rebels' arsenal back to Tehran. The UN mission monitoring shipping into Yemen did not respond to a request for comment. Dorothy Shea, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a speech in May that more money needed to go to the UN mission. 'Earlier this month, UNVIM successfully interdicted four shipping containers of illicit materials bound for Houthi-controlled ports,' she said, using an acronym for the UN inspection mission. 'This interdiction clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of this mechanism. We all need to continue supporting its operations.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Houthis have been launching persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive in Gaza. From November 2023 until January, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. President Donald Trump paused those attacks just before his trip to the Mideast, saying the rebels had 'capitulated' to American demands. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Early Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth wrote on X that U.S. Navy ships had traveled through the Red Sea and its Bab el-Mandeb Strait 'multiple times in recent days' without facing Houthi attacks. 'These transits occurred without challenge and demonstrate the success of both Operation ROUGH RIDER and the President's Peace Through Strength agenda,' Hegseth wrote ahead of facing Congress for the first time since sharing sensitive military details of America's military campaign against the Houthis in a Signal chat. It's unclear how the Houthis will respond now that an attack has come from the sea, rather than the air, from the Israelis. Meanwhile, a wider, decade-long war in Yemen remains stalemated. — Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report. NHL Columnists Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons