Canadian Jews participating in UJA 57th Annual Walk with Israel. Photo: Screenshot.

The J7 Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism, an international coalition representing the seven largest Jewish diaspora communities, has urged Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to confront anti-Zionist and extremist Islamist ideologies as major drivers of antisemitism in Canada.

In a joint letter on Monday, the task force warned of a rapidly deteriorating climate for Canadian Jews, saying violence, intimidation, and open antisemitism are threatening the country’s reputation as a safe haven for Jewish communities.

“Antisemitism is not only a Jewish issue. It is a test of democratic leadership and a measure of the health of democratic institutions,” the letter stated. “For generations, Canada was viewed throughout the Jewish world as one of the safest countries in which Jews could live openly and proudly.”

“Today, that perception is changing — and not for the better,” it continued.

Jews and Israelis across Canada have faced a surge in antisemitic violence in recent months, including shootings, attempted arson attacks, physical assaults, and intimidation in public spaces. The task force also cited hostility toward Jewish students, heightened security at Jewish institutions, and demonstrations that it said have featured support for terrorist organizations and openly antisemitic rhetoric.

“The rise of antisemitism in Canada has become a matter of growing concern far beyond Canada’s borders,” the letter said. “The sense of insecurity experienced by Jewish Canadians is now attracting international attention.”

The group argued that the crisis no longer requires further study, saying the threat has already been extensively documented by government agencies, law enforcement, and civil society groups.

Instead, it called for a “whole-of-government effort” that explicitly recognizes anti-Zionist hatred and extremist Islamist ideologies as contemporary drivers of antisemitism. It also urged stronger law enforcement, meaningful penalties for hate and intimidation, and greater protections for Jewish communities and democratic institutions.

“The problem is no longer a lack of information. It is a lack of urgency, coordination and enforcement. And of real action,” the letter stated. “Canada’s response must reflect the nature of the challenge it faces.”

Last week, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal was the target of an attempted arson. Less than 24 hours later, a window was smashed at Congregation Mishkan Avraham in North York, Toronto.

The attacks came days after Carney spoke at a Toronto synagogue, warning that antisemitism in Canada had risen to levels unseen since the end of World War II.

On Sunday, an estimated 60,000 people marched through Toronto in a “Walk with Israel” to support both the Jewish state and Canada’s Jewish community amid surging antisemitic violence, discrimination, and anti-Israel extremism.

According to the latest data, antisemitic incidents in Canada surged to a record high in 2025 for the second consecutive year, with 6,800 anti-Jewish incidents reported nationwide — an average of nearly 19 per day.

Early 2026 data indicate that Canada is on pace for its most violent year against Jews in recent memory, with more violent antisemitic attacks recorded so far this year than during all of 2025, according to the Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada.

In total, 11 violent antisemitic attacks have been recorded across the country since the start of 2026, surpassing the 10 violent incidents documented during all of last year.