Canadian Senate report on Jew-hatred calls for improved security, fails to mention Islamic extremism

A new Canadian Senate committee report on rising Jew-hatred in the wake of the Hamas-led terror attacks of Oct. 7 calls for improved government action and security infrastructure but falls short of naming Islamic extremism as a contributing factor to antisemitism.

The 73-page report, released this week by the Senate’s human rights committee, follows a 17-month study in which 15 senators heard from 44 witnesses beginning in late 2024 and concluding in April 2026.

Notably, the report does not reference Islamic extremism, instead attributing the rise in antisemitism to social media and, in some cases, “malicious foreign actors.” The only mentions of Muslims or Islam come in the context of comparing antisemitism to other forms of hate, including Islamophobia.

While it cites legislation such as Bill C-9 that would ban the use of “terror symbols and Nazi iconography to willfully promote hate,” the report’s recommendation on addressing the display of hate group symbols only specifies “Nazi and white supremacist symbols.” Such examples are explicitly mentioned throughout the report, but references to “terror” or “terrorism” do not include mention of the ideology or groups associated with that terror.

Similarly, “anti-Zionism” as a driver for antisemitism is only mentioned twice in the report, both times as part of testimony provided to the committee.

At the conclusion of the section titled “Foreign Interference,” which addresses non-profit organizations receiving funds from foreign actors post-Oct. 7, the report cautions against collective blame.

“While antisemitism crosses borders and is, in some cases, organized by malicious actors, it is important not to assign blame collectively to entire ethnic or religious groups,” the report states. “The committee reaffirms that everyone in Canada has a right to their political opinions and expression, even when their views are offensive, and that such expression does not necessarily indicate funding or influence by foreign actors.”

In reference to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, the report warns that “excessive focus on defining antisemitism can be counterproductive. Definitions, whatever their source, do not protect Jewish people from harassment, violence or exclusion in Canada.”

The report makes 22 recommendations, including improving government policies and hate crime data collection, expanding education programming, strengthening community security infrastructure, addressing non-profit organizations listed as terrorist entities and creating safety zones around religious institutions and community spaces.

The Embassy of Israel in Canada welcomed the Senate committee’s recommendations, stating that “amid the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents across Canada, this report represents an important contribution to the development of effective solutions.”

Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, stated that “Israel stands ready to support the implementation of the report’s recommendations and remains committed to close cooperation with Canadian officials and partners to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.”

B’nai Brith Canada also focused on the report’s recommendations, commending the committee for recognizing “the need for a coordinated federal response, digital literacy, Holocaust education and antisemitism awareness.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated that the report “echoed our community’s calls to invest in the Canada Community Security Program and undertake reforms to make it easier to access.”

“What’s needed from all levels of government: action and outcomes,” CIJA wrote.

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council opposed some of the report’s recommendations, pointing to the expansion of legal powers, the creation of safety zones around religious institutions and Bill C-9, which it said raises “serious concerns about potential impacts on Charter-protected freedoms, including protests and expression.”