OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — More than 100 synagogues, Jewish organizations and doctors in several cities across Canada were on high alert after receiving the same threatening email on Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that threats had been made to “a number of institutions, including synagogues and hospitals, across Canada.”
“Law enforcement is also working with religious leaders to ensure they have the information and support they need,” a Mounties statement said.
The RCMP said it is working with local law enforcement to ensure the locations are secure, and the federal Policing National Security Program is investigating the source of the threats.
Several Jewish leaders said police did not anticipate any immediate threat of physical violence, but that the impact of the email was still significant.
The email contained death threats and threats of physical violence and indicated that its purpose was to cause “terror.”
“It is absolutely horrifying to hear that over 100 Jewish institutions across the country were threatened this morning,” said Michael Levitt, CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The latest threats come amid a significant rise in anti-Semitism in Canada following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in the Gaza Strip. B’nai Brith Canada’s annual report in May said reports of anti-Semitic incidents had doubled in Canada in 2023.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was shocked by news of the threatening emails.
“This is blatantly anti-Semitism,” he said in a statement. “The RCMP is in contact with local police to investigate, and we are working with them to keep Jewish Canadians safe.”
A statement from B’nai Brith said its Toronto office had been checked for explosives as a precaution.
