Welcome back to This Week In Canada, where two more attacks on synagogues and a big speech by the prime minister led me to tackle a difficult question that has been on my mind for a while: Why is antisemitism in Canada worse than in other Western democracies? (The answer won’t make you feel any better.)
And please join me Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET to Ask Me Anything about my coverage of medical assistance in dying (MAID). You can find more details below about how to join the conversation.
Five years ago, Canadians were told that they were living through a national reckoning with bigotry and hate. The federal government adopted a sweeping anti-racism strategy. Universities hired diversity officers. Companies created diversity, equity, and inclusion departments. Politicians spoke about systemic discrimination with an urgency often reserved for wars and natural disasters.
Yet antisemitism continues to surge, even though the infrastructure built to fight it is broader and deeper than any time in Canada’s history. Since October 7, 2023, Jewish schools have been shot at, synagogues attacked, and businesses vandalized. Jews have been harassed, assaulted, and spat upon. Protesters have marched through Jewish neighborhoods, and posters of kidnapped Israelis and a missing Jewish teenager were torn down.
