(Ottawa) Jewish groups are calling for more to be done to combat hatred after the arrest of an Ottawa youth in an alleged plot against the Jewish community.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have confirmed that the youth arrested last week on terrorism charges has been charged with three additional offenses after police executed a search warrant, including possession of explosives with intent to lives in danger.
Police say they found materials used to create explosive substances. A source familiar with the matter said Monday that court information indicated the explosives were acetone and an oxidizer.
The interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, Sarah Beutel, said in a statement Tuesday that the accusations are a stunning development due to unchecked anti-Semitism, and that school leaders and governments must combat the rhetoric. of hatred.
She said her group is “calling on leaders in schools, college campuses, all levels of government and other institutions to realize that they are responsible for what is said and shared.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview with Global News that the arrest was “an extremely important moment” demonstrating that the government is doing everything it can to “keep the Jewish community in this country safe.” .
PHOTO ETHAN CAIRNS, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
In the interview broadcast Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Trudeau described as “terrifying” the rise of anti-Semitism in Canada linked to the war between Israel and Hamas, and recalled that it was a problem on which the government acted.
The federal public safety minister on Tuesday announced $5 million in additional funding for a temporary program to help communities at risk of hate crimes, citing a rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
The money is expected to help secure sites such as offices and daycares, including hiring security guards for a limited time.
Increase in hate attacks
Jewish and Muslim leaders across Canada have reported an increase in hate-motivated attacks since Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel on Oct. 7, provoking a massive Israeli military response in the Gaza Strip.
The Center for Jewish and Israeli Relations (CIJA) said Tuesday that the Liberal government should have already introduced a long-promised law on online hate.
The Liberals have promised to introduce the bill within 100 days of their 2021 election victory. Justice Minister Arif Virani recently said he hoped to introduce the bill next year.
CIJA’s vice-president of external affairs, Richard Marceau, believes that if this bill had been tabled, we could have witnessed a different conversation on the web and he stressed that what is found online does not stay there. Never.
He said the terrorism accusations made in Ottawa came as a shock, but were also not surprising given the current atmosphere.
“We told governments, police forces and anyone who would listen, and we are now witnessing a form of anti-Semitism that is potentially violent and very deadly and dangerous,” he denounced, highlighting the incidents such as Molotov cocktails thrown at a synagogue and community center in Montreal and a bomb threat at a school in Toronto.
“Jews across the country feel threatened. They feel under siege. They worry about themselves and their children. »
In a memo to supporters on Tuesday, the center urged people experiencing anti-Semitism in schools and universities to come forward and file complaints, saying it would provide legal support.
Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy group, said in a statement that the charges against Ottawa youth should be a wake-up call.
“We are failing our young people when we allow them to witness acts of public hatred against the Jewish community across the country, week after week, by domestic radicals,” he denounced.
The RCMP reiterated in a statement Monday evening that it was concerned about “the growing trend toward violent extremism” and “particularly the increase in youth participation.”
Five young Canadians have been arrested in terrorism-related cases since June.