A Jewish community leader and former lawmaker will helm the new Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion.<\/p>\n
(JTA<\/a>) Canada\u2019s prime minister Mark Carney announced on Monday a new government body to combat racism, saying its first priority would be tackling antisemitism.<\/p>\n Carney addressed Canada\u2019s surge in antisemitic hate crimes during a speech at Holy Blossom Synagogue, Toronto\u2019s oldest Jewish congregation. He said the government had to \u201cstart with clearly admitting that Canada\u2019s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n Carney referenced the wave of attacks on Canadian Jews since Oct. 7, 2023, including bullets fired at synagogues<\/a> and Jewish schools<\/a> and attacks on Jewish businesses<\/a>, community centers and Holocaust memorials<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over two-thirds of the country\u2019s religion-motivated hate crimes last year were directed at Jewish Canadians, who make up only 1% of the population, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carney said the government was responding by launching the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion, with the mission of advising Canada\u2019s government on combating all forms of hate.<\/p>\n \u201cI am directing that the first responsibility of that council is to address antisemitism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The council will be chaired by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller. Carney also announced that Marc Gold, a lawyer and Jewish community leader<\/a> who retired last year from the Senate of Canada, will join the council.<\/p>\n Carney said the council will be tasked with reassessing the nature, scale and drivers of antisemitism, developing a whole-of-government approach to align federal policies and public safety programs, improving the collection of data on hate incidents, and measuring the impact of government efforts.<\/p>\n Several Jewish organizations are likely to be disappointed that Carney\u2019s announcement did not include more sweeping enforcement measures against antisemitism.<\/p>\n Rich Robertson, the director of research and advocacy at B\u2019nai Brith Canada, said the speech was a \u201cmissed opportunity.\u201d The organization was advocating for a task force that could respond immediately to antisemitic incidents and a commission of inquiry to identify their root causes, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were hoping for true tactical changes that could positively be actioned to change the lived experience of Jewish Canadians, and unfortunately, that is not what we received today,\u201d Robertson told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.<\/p>\n Pressures on Carney were mounting ahead of the speech. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy arm of the Jewish Federations of Canada, pushed for him to strengthen law enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cGovernment and law enforcement must address the drivers of this crisis, including radicalization, promotion of terrorism, and terrorist entities operating here in Canada,\u201d CIJA said in a statement<\/a> shortly before Carney\u2019s address.<\/p>\n The group added, \u201cThe Prime Minister has an opportunity to set the tone from the highest office to make clear that nothing can justify the hatred, intimidation, and violence Jewish Canadians are experiencing and that every tool at the government\u2019s disposal will be used to confront it.\u201d<\/p>\n Carney\u2019s messages about Israel, Gaza and antisemitism have divided Jewish voters<\/a>. In September, he led Canada to officially recognizing a Palestinian state<\/a>. He said in October that he would fulfill the commitment of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited Canada<\/a>. (The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza in 2024.) Last week, he spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the experiences of Canadians detained after trying to sail to bring aid to Gaza.<\/p>\n But Carney, the leader of Canada\u2019s Liberal Party, has also introduced public safety legislation supported by national Jewish organizations, including CIJA and B\u2019nai Brith Canada. Most significant among them is Bill C-9, which would strengthen Canada\u2019s criminal code by creating new offenses for intimidation and obstruction at houses of worship, schools and community centers used by religious groups.<\/p>\n