Haaretz Podcast Jewish life in polite Canada has become 'a horror show of hatred'
May 8, 2026
Jesse Brown, Toronto journalist and founder of Canadaland who investigates rising antisemitism, maps how October 7 reshaped Canadian Jewish life. He describes a startling surge in anti-Jewish incidents, compares Canada’s statistics with the U.S., and explores how progressive politics, policing failures, and debates over anti‑Zionism have intensified threats to Jewish communities.
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Sudden Surge Of Anti-Jewish Hostility After October 7
- Canadian Jews experienced sudden, widespread hostility after October 7 that felt unprecedented for a tolerant society.
- Jesse Brown describes a rapid shift from belonging to being targeted in protests, vandalism, and threats across communities.
Political Neutrality Redirected Protests Toward Jewish Targets
- The Canadian protest movement targeted Jewish institutions partly because political leaders disavowed Israel, removing obvious political targets.
- Brown argues protests instead searched for 'complicit' Jewish Canadians by naming synagogues, charities, schools and individuals.
Tolerance For Intolerance Enabled Escalation
- Canada's culture of tolerance allowed anti-Zionist protests wide leeway, which Brown calls 'tolerance for intolerance.'
- He links this to institutional self-critique around settler colonialism that made Israel an easy scapegoat.