OTTAWA — The head of a major Jewish advocacy group says the recent violent attack at a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., should serve as a “wake-up call” to the “much broader problem” of rising antisemitism and racist conspiracies in Canada. Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, made the comment just days after the Yom Kippur gun attack that left a police officer critically injured and the shooter dead. Shack told a press conference on Parliament Hill today that Sunday’s attack could have happened anywhere in the country. Shack was speaking alongside Jewish university students who told reporters they’re experiencing more frequent instances of antisemitism both on and off campus. Parliament passed the Combatting Hate Act in June this year, which creates new Criminal Code offences for hate-motivated intimidation of identifiable groups, including through the intentional display of certain Nazi symbols. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says he wants to see specialized prosecutors responsible for all hate cases and the federal justice and public safety ministers seem receptive to the idea. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026 The Canadian Press
