Canada Confronts Hate and Interference
Senate committees analyze rising anti-Semitism, foreign threats, and delays in Canada’s national security response.
Canada is facing a significant test of its security and social cohesion. This week, two key Senate committees examined threats from both outside and within. The Human Rights committee heard urgent, personal testimony on what witnesses called a “crisis of anti-Semitism.” Concurrently, the National Security committee grilled the Public Safety Minister on foreign interference, policing gaps, and critical delays in implementing new laws. The combined testimony reveals a gap between the speed of the threats and the pace of Canada’s response.
Here is an analysis of the key issues discussed in the Senate.
A ‘Crisis of Anti-Semitism’
The most urgent testimony came from the Human Rights committee, which held four separate panels on the rise of anti-Semitism in Canada. Witnesses provided stark data. B’nai Brith Canada, for example, reported it recorded 6,219 anti-Semitic incidents in its 2024 audit, an average of 17 incidents per day. The Jewish Federation of Edmonton noted it had documented over 440 incidents in its community alone since October 7, 2023.
What does this look like on the ground? Stacey Leavitt-Wright of the Edmonton federation described a situation that has morphed from “occasional shocking events” to being “normalized, pervasive and casual.”
Witnesses were clear that this is not a problem of fringe elements. They detailed a profound sense of abandonment by major Canadian institutions, including unions, universities, and public schools.
Failures in Unions and Schools
Carrie Silverberg, a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), described a “hateful and anti-Semitic” environment within her union. She testified that she was “yelled at and booed” at a convention for raising the issue. She also noted that CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn tweeted his support for “the power of resistance” on October 8, 2023, which she interpreted as gratitude for the massacre. Ms. Silverberg has filed a human rights complaint against the union, which, she noted, is using her own union dues to fund its legal defense against her.
Similar failures were reported in the education system. Ginaya Peters, representing BC Teachers Against Antisemitism, and Eyal Daniel, of the Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Association, described their struggles with the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF). They testified their application for a specialist association to provide Holocaust education resources was rejected by the BCTF, which they allege has promoted biased materials and events hosted by groups like Samidoun, an organization listed as a terrorist entity.
The University ‘Full-Time Job’
The situation on university campuses was described as particularly dire. Pe’er Krut, President of the Canadian Union of Jewish Students, stated that being a Jewish student has become a “full-time job” of justifying, defending, and responding for an entire people.
Students and parents, she said, are now forced to ask new questions when choosing a university: “Where can I wear my kippah without fear?” or “In which residence will my mezuzah not be torn down?” Ms. Peters added that her own son “has chosen to do his post-secondary education in Israel because he does not feel safe” on any Canadian campus.
Justin Hebert, former president of the Jewish Law Students Association at the University of Windsor, recounted how his campus radio interview on the importance of Holocaust education was pulled from the air after anti-Israel students deemed the discussion “too offensive” for not mentioning Gaza.
Foreign Interference and Domestic Extremism
This rise in hate is not happening in a vacuum. At the National Security committee meeting, CSIS Director Daniel Rogers was questioned about foreign state actors. He confirmed that CSIS is monitoring threats from Russia, which, he said, seeks to “manipulate social divides” and amplify negative narratives, as it did during the last election.
Rogers also confirmed that CSIS is tracking threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has attempted to “intimidate or survey members of the Iranian Canadian community.” Senator Stan Kutcher also raised the “spillage of American extremism,” pointing to neo-Nazi fight clubs and white supremacist movements recruiting in Canada.
This aligns with testimony from the Human Rights committee, where witnesses described the anti-Semitism they face as part of a global movement that is “finding footholds here at home.”
The Government’s Response: Resources vs. Delays
At the National Security committee, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree outlined his department’s response to the complex threat environment.
New Resources
The minister highlighted a $1.3 billion border plan that has enhanced security at ports of entry, leading to a 99% reduction in illegal southbound movement. He also touted the success of the National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft, which has seen 2,277 stolen vehicles intercepted in 2024.
Crucially, the minister confirmed a new plan to hire 1,000 new RCMP personnel, backed by $1.8 billion in new funds over four years. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme explained this would allow the force to fill front-line contract policing vacancies and move experienced officers into federal policing roles to combat cybercrime, anti-terrorism, and organized crime.
Critical Delays
Despite these announcements, senators expressed deep frustration with the government’s pace.
The most significant delay relates to Bill C-70, the foreign interference bill. Senator Andrew Cardozo noted that the Senate “rushed” the bill into law over a year ago based on government assurances of its urgency. Yet, 16 months later, the key position of Foreign Interference Commissioner has still not been filled. The Minister acknowledged the frustration, stating he is “weeks away” from an appointment.
Similar delays plague Bill C-21, the firearms bill. Senator Margaret Dawn Anderson pointed out that a promise made by the previous Public Safety Minister almost two years ago to appoint resident Chief Firearms Officers (CFOs) for the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut remains unfulfilled. The minister committed to a new timeline, promising the appointments would be completed by January 2026.
The Path Forward: Legislation and Education
Witnesses across both committees outlined two primary paths for addressing these failures: new laws and better education.
1. Legislation and Enforcement
Witnesses at the Human Rights committee expressed support for Bill C-9, new legislation that would ban the glorification of terrorism and the display of hate symbols.
However, many cautioned that new laws are meaningless without enforcement. Michael Levitt of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center noted the “appallingly low” number of hate crime cases that are successfully prosecuted. Ms. Leavitt-Wright of Edmonton added that police are often reluctant to lay hate-motivated charges because they know “when they bring it to the Crown... it will sit.” The consensus was a need for specialized training for both police and Crown prosecutors.
2. Education and Definitions
The most consistent demand was for education. Witnesses repeatedly called for mandatory Holocaust education across all provinces, citing polls that show widespread ignorance among Canadian youth.
They also stressed the urgent need for institutions, from universities to unions and police forces, to adopt and use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. Witnesses like Mr. Hebert argued this definition is a critical tool for identifying modern anti-Semitism, which often “blurs the line” by using criticism of Israel or the word “Zionist” as a cover for traditional anti-Jewish hate. They argued that resistance to adopting the IHRA definition comes from the very actors who “uniquely benefit” from that ambiguity.
The Data Brief
Witnesses before the Human Rights committee described a “crisis of anti-Semitism,” citing 6,219 incidents in 2024, or 17 per day.
Jewish students and union members testified that universities (Concordia, Windsor) and public sector unions (CUPE, BCTF) have failed to protect them, instead normalizing or participating in the hate.
The government is hiring 1,000 new RCMP officers but faces sharp criticism for a 16-month delay in appointing the Foreign Interference Commissioner promised under Bill C-70.
CSIS confirmed it is actively monitoring Russian disinformation campaigns (manipulating social divides) and Iranian (IRGC) intimidation of diaspora communities in Canada.
There is a strong push for new legislation (Bill C-9) to ban terror symbols and for mandatory, nationwide Holocaust education to combat youth ignorance and enforce the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.
Source Documents
Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs. (2025, October 20). Evidence. 3(1), 45th Parliament, 1st Session.
Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. (2025, October 20). Evidence. 3(1), 45th Parliament, 1st Session.