Toronto Police Services are investigating numerous incidents involving unknown suspects committing antisemitic crimes across the city, including a reported incident that involved suspects banging on the door of a Jewish home and uttering hateful comments.
No further details have been made public at this time.
Additionally, police are investigating the removal of a mezuzah, a scroll of parchment inscribed with a prayer that is hung on the doorposts of Jewish homes.
“TPS is investigating two hate-motivated incidents involving mezuzahs. In one incident a mezuzah was stolen, in the second, hateful remarks were made. Call 4168082222 if you experience any intimidation, harassment, or hateful behaviour,” posted TPS on X.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CJIA) was also recently vandalized with antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on the walls, garages and garbage bins across several locations throughout Toronto.
The graffiti depicted the Star of David smeared in red paint with the words “Free Palestine” above it and another had “Soaked in Blood” jotted above the Jewish symbol.
Similar graffiti was found at the Danforth Collegiate on Monday but has since been painted over.
“It is absolutely disgusting what is taking place,” said CIJA vice-president for the GTA Jaime Kirzner-Roberts on Tuesday, in an interview with CP24.
“No community in the city should have to face the kind of hate, the kind of harassment and the kind of intimidation that has been targeting the Jewish community over the last few weeks.”
While Kirzner-Roberts said that people are entitled to their opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas war, no one should be subjected to these hateful acts.
“This needs to stop,” she said.
Hate crimes have spiked since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, according to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who said there were 14 reported incidents in the first three days of the conflict.
Of those 14 incidents, 12 involved ties to antisemitism and two were connected to anti-Muslim and anti-Islam events.
A Jewish-owned cafe was targeted earlier this week by pro-Palestinian protesters who were chanting “boycott” in videos later posted on social media. The act was later condemned by Toronto mayor Olivia Chow and other members of city council.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles’ constituency office window was also vandalized with the words “Free Palestine” and “blood on your hands” on Tuesday. The vandalism occurred one day after MPP Sarah Jama was ejected from caucus over an anti-Israel statement she made.
In a statement released by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), reports of hate incidents are also dramatically on the rise as well, including several Muslim women who have been spat on while walking out in public.
“Sadly, we have also seen that as rhetoric escalates, and communities are made to bear the brunt of the backlash, it has real life consequences for Canadians,” reads the NCCM statement. “Just this week alone, the number of hate incidents reported to NCCM have increased by over 1000%.”
