By Howie Silbiger, Editor-in Chief
Statements and tweets will not stop bullets. They will not put out fires or stop knives from cutting into worshippers. Politicians rush to social media with polished lines after every synagogue firebombing or school shooting, but the violence continues. Their words mean nothing to the parents who send children to Yeshiva Gedola and Talmud Torah, where bullets tore into the school doors. They mean nothing to the families who pray at Beth Tikvah, which was firebombed. They mean nothing to the girls at Bais Chaya Mushka in Toronto, where gunfire shattered windows more than once. Words do not save lives. Action does.
Manchester proved the point. A terrorist drove into worshippers and began stabbing. People died and many were wounded. The rampage only ended when police shot the attacker. If the synagogue had trained armed guards the attack could have been stopped immediately. Instead lives were lost while police rushed to the scene. That gap between the start of an attack and the moment it is ended is where lives are destroyed. It is the gap our leaders refuse to close.
In Canada, politicians hold up strict gun laws as proof that people are safe. It is a lie. Criminals and extremists ignore those laws. Firebombs, arson, and gunfire do not respect legislation. The only ones restrained are the communities trying to protect their children and their institutions. In Quebec, synagogues and schools are not even allowed to hire off-duty police officers for protection. On top of that, municipalities forbid synagogues from blocking off the streets in front of their buildings during holidays, even when thousands of worshippers are expected. If a synagogue dares to do it on its own, it risks heavy fines or even arrests. The government not only refuses to protect Jewish institutions, it actively punishes them if they try to protect themselves.
Quebec must allow professional armed guards in schools and places of worship. Guards must be trained, certified, accountable, and ready to act. Communities must have a legal path to hire them, and municipalities must stop standing in the way of basic safety measures. Change must happen immediately. This is not about vigilantes, it is about giving our institutions the same right to real protection that politicians grant themselves when they surround their offices with barriers and security details.
Children should not sit in classrooms marked by bullet holes while leaders post online condolences. Worshippers should not walk through charred entrances while premiers hold press conferences. Families should not be threatened with fines and arrests for trying to protect their synagogues and worshippers during the holiest days of the year. Every day without change is another day that poses a serious threat. Words have failed. Protection must come now, before we are forced to bury more Jews.
Howie Silbiger is the host of The Howie Silbiger Show on Truetalkradio.com and Political Hitman on Israelnewstalkradio.com. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Montreal Jewish News.
