Jews in Canada continue to be the most targeted religious group for hate crimes, according to the latest release of police-reported hate crime data for 2022 by Statistics Canada last week.
Despite comprising only one percent of the population, the Jewish community accounted for a staggering 67% of all religiously motivated hate crimes. This alarming trend of increasing hate crimes targeting Jews reflects a broader rise in hate across the country.
The report revealed that the Black and Jewish populations were the most frequently targeted by hate crimes, representing 23% and 14% of all reported incidents, respectively. Both communities experienced disproportionate increases compared to other groups based on race, ethnicity, or religion.
Of particular concern is the surge in antisemitism. While religiously motivated hate crimes overall decreased, incidents of Jew-hatred increased, making it the only religious category to experience a rise in hate crimes. In 2022, the Jewish community faced 502 reported hate crime incidents, out of a total of 3,576 reported incidents motivated by religion. This means that on average, more than one hate incident targeted Canada’s Jewish community every day. Moreover, antisemitic hate crime has seen an alarming 52% increase since 2020.
