Jewish community concerned by antisemitic flyers in Langley, B.C.

Flyers with antisemitic propaganda were distributed last week in Langley, B.C., prompting an investigation by RCMP.

The flyers promoted conspiracy theories alleging the Jewish community controlled the United States Federal Reserve and the world's money supply.

"It may not be a physical attack per se, but what it does is it puts people on edge. It makes them feel unwelcome in their communities," said Gerry Almendrades, national director of community security with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). 

He says other parts of Canada, including Peterborough, Ont., and Saskatoon were "completely papered" with similar flyers from the website of the Goyim Defense League (GDL), an antisemitic hate group. 

Almendrades and other members of the Jewish community are speaking out in light of recent events to encourage police and community members to fight back against discrimination and antisemitism. 

"It's not a Jewish issue, it's an everybody issue," he said.

"Community policing should be resourced to deal with this to shut down the origin of propaganda such as this."

In a statement, Staff Sgt. Kris Clark with the Langley RCMP acknowledged the "harm to the entire Jewish community" and said their investigation is ongoing. 

"Every investigation is unique and although there are not necessarily any investigative techniques specific to hate crime, there is specific legislation in the criminal code that deals with hate crime," the statement reads.

Anyone who comes across a flyer perpetuating hate propaganda is asked to report it to local police. 

Impact to the community 

The flyers distributed in Langley, about 50 kilometres southeast in Vancouver, contained images of people associated with the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Star of David on their head.

There were also logos and information about the GDL, a U.S.-based group with ties to white supremacy and antisemitism.

According to a 2022 audit of antisemitic incidents by the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization, incidents of antisemitic propaganda doubled in the U.S. largely due to the growth of the GDL.

For Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the incident in B.C. is frustrating, especially for the growing Jewish population in Langley. 

"For them to have to see this in this day and age is very disappointing," Shanken said.

"It's this kind of rhetoric … that's not helpful for creating a society that is loving, caring, accepting, you know celebrating the uniqueness that we bring to the table."

Shanken says it's untrue that flyers are harmless, given the message they perpetuate.

"Today our challenge is that we're being bombarded by information in the online environment," he said, adding it's important for people to question these types of flyers. 

"We might think less of other groups of people because of what we're receiving and we're not really digesting it."

Shanken says this type of hate often "emerges in times of challenge," when people might be looking for a group or organization to take the blame. 

"The inflation that we're feeling today or the economic situations that people are going through … it's very easy for people to come forward … and say it's not your fault, it's their fault … and discriminate against them for it." 

In a release earlier this month, the CIJA said Jewish people are the most targeted religious group in Canada for hate crimes, despite only making up one per cent of the country's population. 

'Verbal violence'

University of Fraser Valley professor Adrienne Chan says hate crimes directed at a specific group can impact the broader community.

"It's still harmful to you because you know that kind of environment exists around you," she said.

"Hate speech on a piece of paper — that's verbal violence."

Chan says people can reach out to community groups — like Options Community Services in Surrey, Delta and Langley — for support and information on how "to protect themselves." 

She adds that it's important to speak up and engage in conversations about the harms of hateful messaging.

"It's actually an opening to talk about what's right and what's wrong in our society."