Anti-Semitic incidents on the rise in Canada: B'nai Brith study

The level of reported anti-Semitic incidents is on the rise in Canada, with more than a four-fold increase over the past decade, according to an annual study by B'nai Brith Canada.

In total, 1,042 incidents were reported in 2007, representing an 11.4 per cent increase over incidents in 2006, the group's human rights league said.

The group also highlighted what it said was a disturbing increase in the number of reported incidents on university and college campuses across the country.

The audit reported a 51.9 per cent rise in incidents reported in schools in 2007, as well as a 22 per cent increase in web-based hate activity from the past year.

"Each incident has a victim behind it," said Anita Bromberg, director of B'nai Brith Canada's legal department. "What is anti-Semitism in Canada today? It's the victims, the young, the elderly, the university student, the professor at work, the professional at work, or at home or on the streets."

Allan Adel, president of B'nai Brith's human rights league, said the audit indicated that as in past years, the majority of reported anti-Semitic incidents consistently occurred in Ontario.

Group criticizes Bouchard-Taylor commission

But the audit also noted a spike in incidents reported in Quebec this year, particularly during November, when the Bouchard-Taylor commission hearings on so-called reasonable accommodation were being held in the province.

"It should have been managed differently," said Moise Moghrabi, B'nai Brith's Quebec regional president, of the commission, which has yet to table its final report. "It shouldn't have allowed people with anti-Semitic and racist views to come up to the microphone and be sent out on the airwaves."

Bromberg also cited high-profile Quebec attacks such as the firebombing of a Jewish community centre almost a year ago in Montreal.

"It's not the fringes as we would like to think," Bromberg said. "It's occurring in the mainstream of Canada."