A Montreal-area Jewish synagogue and community centre were targeted in a firebombing attack for the second time in just over a year, prompting outrage from the Jewish community.
The Dec. 18 overnight attack targeted the Beth Tikvah synagogue and the West Island Federation CJA building in Dollard-des-Ormeaux on Montreal’s West Island. Incendiary devices thrown at the buildings caused damage, including shattered windows and a burnt door, as seen in
photos circulating on social media.
Congregation Beth Tikvah was
previously targeted in a firebombing attack in November 2023, a month after the terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel. The attack, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and hundreds taken hostage, prompted Israel to declare war and initiate a military operation in Gaza, where Hamas is based.
Following Israel’s military actions, pro-Palestinian protests erupted across Canada, as well as in the United States and several European countries. In several instances, protesters were seen making threats and engaging in violence and vandalism.
The advocacy group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said the attack marks the seventh time a Jewish institution has been physically targeted in Montreal. While it did not result in injuries, “the psychological toll on the [Jewish] community is significant,” CIJA said, expressing renewed concern over the rise of anti-Semitic violence in the city.
Yair Szlak, president and CEO of Federation CJA, condemned the “craven acts” of intimidation while demanding immediate action from local authorities, particularly Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, to address the growing threats against the Jewish community.
“It is intolerable that Montreal citizens live in insecurity because of their religion,” Plante
wrote in French on the social media platform X, adding that Montreal police are investigating to find the perpetrators.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
called the “vile antisemitic attack” against Montreal’s Jewish community “cowardly and criminal,” adding, “I trust the perpetrators behind this hateful act will be quickly brought to justice.”
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said in a
post in French on X that he “strongly condemns these cowardly acts” and called on the Liberal government to take action to protect Canadians.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who has been outspoken against the attacks on the Jewish community, said Beth Tikvah synagogue is where he had his bar mitzvah. “I expect the police to make every effort to quickly arrest anyone responsible & for all leaders to denounce this deplorable attack,” he
wrote on X.
The assault on Beth Tikvah synagogue has drawn international attention, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog
calling it an “appalling antisemitic attack” and urging Ottawa to take swift action to “show that such hatred will not be tolerated.”
Canada has seen a “
significant surge“ in anti-Semitism since Oct. 7, 2023, with incidents rising by 670 percent over the past year, according to an
October report from the Israeli Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
The report details several incidents targeting Canadian Jewish communities, many of which involved schools. These include gunshots fired at a girls elementary school in North York, as well as fire damage and vandalism at Leo Baeck Jewish Day School in Toronto.
