In the United States the Department of Justice has made it clear that intimidating Jews at prayer is a federal offense. The lawsuit against socialist and Islamist groups that harassed worshippers outside a synagogue in West Orange sends a blunt message that Jewish rights will be enforced with the full weight of the law. The charges are civil, but the symbolism is criminal in its seriousness. This is what it looks like when a government acts decisively.
In Canada the contrast could not be starker. Here we have seen marches in downtown Montreal where chants in support of Hamas are shouted through loudspeakers and flags of a designated terrorist group are waved in full view. We have watched as Jewish schools and synagogues have been defaced and targeted, yet official responses often amount to statements of concern followed by little action. Pro Hamas encampments have taken root on university grounds, including McGill, where Jewish students report being spat on, blocked from events, and surrounded by mobs. Police stand by citing the right to protest while the message to Jewish families is unmistakable. You are on your own.
The government has shown it can act when it wants to. During the truck convoy protests in Ottawa the Prime Minister invoked emergency powers, froze bank accounts, and mobilized police in full riot gear to dismantle encampments. For weeks we have watched antisemitic encampments take over central spaces on our campuses and in our streets, yet authorities hesitate and delay. The standard applied to Jewish safety is different and everyone knows it.
Community leaders in Montreal have called repeatedly for decisive action. Parents of children at Jewish schools have demanded protection. Congregations have had to raise funds for private security. Even as the Prime Minister repeats that antisemitism is unacceptable, the lack of concrete measures tells another story. Public Safety Canada went as far as to claim it saw no evidence that pro Palestine rallies were linked to Hamas calls. That line was an insult to the many Jews who heard Hamas slogans with their own ears in the streets of our city.
The American government has not shied from taking groups and individuals to court. The Canadian government issues press releases. The American system sets a precedent that synagogue doors cannot be turned into protest sites. The Canadian system sets a precedent that intimidation and glorification of terror can be tolerated if cloaked in the language of protest.
Montreal Jews have learned to expect little from Ottawa and Quebec City. We hire guards, install cameras, and hope that the next demonstration does not spill blood. Our neighbors south of the border can look to their Justice Department and know that at least one government is willing to enforce the law when Jews are under attack. The lesson is not just about policy. It is about credibility. When Jewish communities see that their safety depends on themselves alone, the government has already failed.
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