Jewish community top target for reported religion-based hate crimes, Senate committee finds

Predictable call for return of envoy among others. I think one of the main questions, whether with respect to antisemitism, anti-Islam or other forms of hate, is which initiatives and programs are actually effective in reducing hate, bias and discrimination.

While all have political and community importance, my admittedly dated experience was that many of these initiatives have marginal real impacts with the exception of regular hate crimes reporting that ensured awareness and raise the profile.

As I have written earlier, prefer broader approaches that explore and share commonalities rather than separate approaches that are less integrative:

A Senate committee is calling on the federal government to establish a task force and reinstate a special envoy position to address rising antisemitism in Canada. 

The Senate Committee on Human Rights presented its report – called Standing United Against Antisemitism: Protecting Communities and Strengthening Canadian Democracy – on Tuesday. The committee heard from 44 expert witnesses and received 36 written briefs over the course of a year. 

The Jewish community is the number one target for religiously motivated hate crimes reported to police in Canada, making up around 70 per cent of such crimes documented in 2023 and 2024, according to the report. 

“It is unacceptable to me, and the committee, that a community should live in fear just because of who they are or what they believe,” committee chair Senator Paulette Senior told a news conference.

The committee’s report outlines 22 recommendations, including the establishment of an interdepartmental task force to address antisemitism, with representatives from other key agencies and departments such as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and Canadian Heritage. …

Source: Jewish community top target for reported religion-based hate crimes, Senate committee finds, https://sencanada.ca/en/committees/RIDR/about/45-1

CP/CBC article link: Senators call on Carney to restore antisemitism envoy, step up fight against hate