The National Assembly of the Canadian province of Quebec on Wednesday unanimously adopted a motion condemning the sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents targeting members of the Jewish community.
The motion was cosponsored by the Minister responsible for combating racism, and the MNAs for D’Arcy-McGee, Gaspé, Laurier-Dorion, Chomedey, Marie-Victorin and Rimouski.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) welcomed the adoption of the motion.
“CIJA welcomes today’s motion unanimously condemning anti-Semitism in Quebec. For weeks Quebec Jews have been at the receiving end of an alarming number of antisemitic incidents including assaults, vandalism and death threats. This situation is intolerable and without precedent, and does not reflect Quebec’s values,” said Eta Yudin, CIJA Vice President, Quebec.
“Today, our elected officials have sent a strong message to all Quebecers that anti-Semitism has no place in Quebec society. While there is still much work to be done, today’s motion is a step in the right direction and demonstrates that our elected officials understand the gravity of the threat and will not allow it to fester,” added Yudin.
Montreal police last week announced they had put in place a response plan to deal with threats made against the Canadian city’s Jewish community, specifically online posts threatening to attack heavily Jewish areas.
Police said that the plan has been implemented in Côte-St-Luc, Côte-des-Neiges and Outremont, areas with significant Jewish populations, in order to “maintain a sense of security among citizens.”
The plan was announced after two men were arrested for allegedly uttering threats to members of the Jewish community in Côte-St-Luc.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week condemned the wave of anti-Semitic incidents in Montreal.
“I am deeply disturbed by recent reports of anti-Semitic acts in Montreal and across the country. This intimidation and violence is absolutely unacceptable - and it must stop immediately. There is no place for hate of any kind in Canada,” he stated.