By Joseph Marshall
Jewish institutions in Montreal and across Quebec are operating under heightened vigilance after a federal threat assessment warned that attacks against Jewish targets in Canada remain a realistic possibility, even as security agencies say there is no specific or imminent threat at this time.
The assessment was circulated by Canada’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre following a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney, Australia. Canadian intelligence officials said the same drivers of extremist violence seen abroad are present domestically, including the risk posed by lone actors or small groups acting with little or no warning.
The report states that there is no intelligence indicating an active plot targeting Jewish events or institutions in Canada. However, the national terrorism threat level remains at medium, meaning an attack is considered plausible.
Jewish advocacy organizations say the language of the assessment reflects a reality Jewish communities have already been confronting. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centres in Montreal have been operating in an elevated threat environment for more than a year.
CIJA chief executive officer Noah Shack said public calls for violence, praise for terrorist organizations, and antisemitic intimidation have become increasingly visible since October 2023, creating conditions that demand more than temporary security responses.
Federal intelligence officials have emphasized that the assessment is precautionary. CSIS has stated publicly that it has no information pointing to an imminent threat to Canada. Despite that, police services across the country have taken visible steps to increase security around Jewish institutions.
In Montreal, police confirmed they have increased patrols and presence around synagogues, Jewish schools, and community facilities, particularly during holiday gatherings and large public events. Montreal police said the measures are intended both as a deterrent and to reassure the community, while stressing that there is no specific threat to the city at this time.
Quebec’s government also acknowledged the assessment. Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said provincial authorities are in regular contact with federal intelligence agencies and local police services and are monitoring the situation closely. The government has emphasized that hate crimes and threats against religious communities will be investigated and prosecuted.
The threat assessment references recent extremist plots disrupted by Canadian authorities, including ISIS inspired plans in Ontario and Alberta and arrests linked to alleged threats against pro Israel rallies. Intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that lone actor attacks are particularly difficult to detect in advance, particularly when radicalization occurs online.
Jewish groups are calling on federal, provincial, and municipal governments to move beyond short term security measures and adopt a coordinated response that includes consistent enforcement of hate crime laws, action against the promotion of terrorism, and clear public messaging condemning antisemitism.
Authorities continue to urge calm and say daily life should not be disrupted. Jewish leaders say vigilance has already become part of daily life, and that the threat assessment confirms what many communities have been living with for months.
The warning follows a sharp escalation in antisemitic incidents in Montreal after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. In the months that followed, Jewish schools in Côte Saint-Luc and Montreal’s west end were struck by gunfire in separate overnight shootings, while synagogues and Jewish community institutions were targeted by arson attempts, vandalism, and repeated bomb threats. Police investigations confirmed the incidents were deliberate and antisemitic in nature. Jewish organizations say the shootings marked a turning point, accelerating the expansion of armed patrols, controlled access, and close coordination with Montreal police as a permanent security posture rather than an emergency measure.
