CIJA

CIJA Welcomes Federal Budget Investments in Confronting Violent Extremism Ottawa, ON – November 5, 2026 – Following the tabling of the federal budget, which committed to expand Canada’s National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence and boost capabilities for CSIS, CBSA and the RCMP, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) issued this statement: “Today’s budget builds on last spring’s investments in protecting vulnerable community institutions by strengthening Canada's ability to confront extremists threatening our security and way of life. It also reflects Prime Minister Carney’s commitment, as noted in his statement marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 terror attacks, to ‘stop extremism before it takes root.’ “The renewal and expansion of Canada's National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence is an important step in helping authorities and organizations identify and intervene before susceptible individuals, particularly youth, are drawn into extremist ideologies and violence. It is imperative that the strategy delivers measurable results, especially as radicalization to violence can now occur in weeks rather than months or years. “Confronting antisemitism must be central to this work as experts acknowledge anti-Jewish conspiracies is the ‘baseline of entry into extremism.’ From ISIS supporters and Iran's Islamic regime to neo-Nazis and the radical left, extremist movements are exploiting libels about Jews and Israelis – from COVID to Gaza – to fuel radicalization, incite violence and commit acts of terror against Canadians. “We also welcome the commitments to further expand the capabilities of CSIS, and the addition of new CBSA and RCMP officers. In September, the federal government explicitly recognized that antisemitism is a matter of national security. Addressing this threat must now be a priority in implementing Canada's new National Security Strategy, including strengthening intelligence and counterterrorism capabilities, border screening and the enforcement of inadmissibility and removal orders. “CIJA stands ready to work with the federal government to turn these investments into concrete action that protects communities and safeguards the security and fundamental freedoms of all Canadians.”

In a deeply personal op-ed in the @nationalpost, Sharlene Weitzman recounts the terror of surviving the shooting attack at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Synagogue and reflects on what must happen to ensure Canada is a country where everyone can live openly, freely and safely, without fear of expressing who they are. She ends on a powerful note: restoring a sense of belonging cannot rest solely on the shoulders of those who have been made to feel they no longer belong. It is a responsibility all Canadians share. Read the full op-ed here: nationalpost.com/opinion/sha…

Today, the federal government will table its 2026 budget, an important opportunity to keep Canadians safe through protection and prevention. As reported by The Globe and Mail, survivors of the Yom Kippur Synagogue shooting attack in Belleville warned that antisemitism and conspiracies continue to circulate in their community, even after the attack that nearly became a mass-casualty tragedy. “It is imperative that we address not only the immediate threats to our collective safety but also the extremist ideologies and radicalization that lead to such violence.” — Shima Vigoda CIJA is calling on the government to use today's budget to deliver on the Prime Minister's commitment in his statement marking the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led terror attacks: " to strengthen public safety and combat hate, with new laws and resources to stop extremism before it takes root.” Read the full report in the @globeandmail here: theglobeandmail.com/politics…

"The measure of solidarity isn’t what people say after an attack. It’s what they are prepared to do before the next one happens." Following her impact statement this Monday during the sentencing hearing regarding the shots fired at the Yeshiva Gedola school—and in the wake of an incident late Thursday night at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, where several windows were damaged by what appear to be pellet-gun shots—our Senior Vice President, @ecijaq, has published the following appeal on her blog for @TimesofIsrael. Read it here: blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-…

Ahead of tomorrow’s federal budget, a courageous delegation of survivors from the attack on Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Synagogue came to Parliament Hill to meet with parliamentarians from across party lines. Their message was clear: the government must focus on protection and prevention. Ensuring Jewish institutions have the security resources they need, regardless of size or location, while confronting radicalization before it leads to violence. Tomorrow’s budget is an opportunity to advance both priorities. We commend the delegation for speaking so strongly on behalf of Jewish Canadians across the country. And we appreciate the parliamentarians for hearing firsthand about the challenges facing Jewish communities.

At a time when Canadian security experts warn that the exploitation of criticism of Israel by people who don’t know what they’re talking about can fuel radicalization and even acts of terror, it is critical that publicly funded national institutions uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and governance. This week’s ruling by the CBC Ombudsman, as reported by @mindingottawa, sends a clear message: CBC journalists and producers must be held accountable when they violate their own journalistic standards. The case also underscores a broader challenge facing Canadians. Whether it is the @CMHR_News controversial Nakba exhibit, which the Heritage Minister @MarcMillerVM rebuked for failures of curation and governance, or the CBC’s repeated breaches of journalistic standards in its coverage of Israel, publicly funded institutions must not become vehicles for bias or misinformation. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure these institutions are accountable to the standards that Canadians expect them to uphold. Read more here: blacklocks.ca/fault-cbc-for-…

This week, as reported by @DanTaekema of @CBCOttawa, survivors of the Yom Kippur shooting at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Synagogue delivered a clear message to Members of Parliament: Canada must prioritize both protection and prevention. The government has taken important steps to strengthen protection, including improving hate crime legislation and investing in community security. We welcome the previously announced expansion of the Canada Community Security Program and are working with the government to make the program more accessible, ensuring Jewish institutions can better protect their communities regardless of their size or financial means. But protection alone is not enough. As the Prime Minister has recognized, we must also prevent extremism from taking root and escalating into violence. The upcoming federal budget is an opportunity to put those commitments into action. Read more here: cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7…

Following the release of Canada’s new National Security Strategy, and ahead of Thursday’s federal budget, survivors of the attack on Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Synagogue are urging the government to act on both protection and prevention. That means confronting radicalization to violence. As experts, including David O’Brien of @YorktownFamily Services, have described, extremists ranging from white supremacists to Islamists may have little in common, but share a hatred of Jews. That’s why Belleville survivors have joined CIJA, thousands across our community, and allies in calling on the federal government to renew and strengthen Canada’s National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence in Thursday’s budget and going forward to position antisemitism as a priority in the implementation of the government’s new strategy. Read more in the @TorontoStar via @markramzyy: thestar.com/politics/federal…

“'Allah has written that victory is near,' Ammara Amjad wrote, according to the RCMP, which found her messages on a phone seized during a search of her parents’ home north of Toronto." This week in a Brampton courtroom, Ammara Amjad became the first Canadian woman, living under ISIS as it committed untold atrocities, to face prosecution for participating in the activities of a terrorist group. As @StewGlobal reports, the case comes amid warnings from Canadian security officials that ISIS members returning to Canada following the group’s defeat in Syria could pose a threat, including by carrying out attacks or radicalizing others. Government and authorities at all levels must ensure that returning fighters from foreign terrorist organizations are brought to justice. Last week's national security framework presents an opening for the federal government to renew and reform the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence and leverage the upcoming budget to substantially expand funding for the Community Resilience Fund. Read more: globalnews.ca/news/12122972/…

"These are my neighbours and my friends. It shakes you to the core.” For Member of Parliament Chris Malette, the Yom Kippur attack on Sons of Jacob Synagogue was deeply personal. He lives just two blocks from the synagogue, in a community he has called home for 47 years. Speaking alongside survivors on Parliament Hill, he reflected on the shocking speed at which antisemitic hatred has spread and the reality of seeing violence reach his own neighbourhood. His warning to Canadians was clear: “If it can happen in Belleville, it can happen anywhere in Canada.” Watch his remarks at the press conference here: cpac.ca/headline-politics/ep…

Jewish communities -- both large and small -- are confronting threats to their personal safety and place within civic life that recall some of the darkest chapters of our country's history. Shima Vigodda, a survivor of the Yom Kippur shooting attack at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Congregation, brought this warning to Parliament Hill, reflecting on the discrimination faced by generations of Jewish Canadians. “What hangs in the balance is not just the future of Jewish communities across the country, but the very soul of Canada itself.” With Thursday’s federal budget approaching, survivors are urging the government to turn its national security commitments into action by renewing Canada’s counter-radicalization strategy, prioritizing antisemitism in the new National Security Strategy, and reforming the Canada Community Security Program to better protect smaller Jewish communities. Watch Shima’s powerful testimony from Parliament Hill: cpac.ca/headline-politics/ep…

Speaking on Parliament Hill alongside survivors of the Belleville synagogue attack, CIJA CEO @nshack warned that antisemitism has become a common thread connecting extremist ideologies, with conspiracy theories and hatred toward Jews fuelling radicalization across the ideological spectrum, from far-left extremists to neo-Nazis and Islamists. “We know that in confronting antisemitism, we are getting at the root of a larger problem.” As reported by the National Post, CIJA is calling on the federal government to renew and reform Canada's National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence, invest in prevention, and strengthen the tools and resources available to police and intelligence agencies to confront extremist threats. With Thursday's federal budget approaching, the government has an opportunity to turn its national security commitments into concrete action to prevent the next attack. Read the full report from the @nationalpost here: nationalpost.com/news/cija-c…

“The next time, we may not be so fortunate, and the next family may not make it home.” Survivors of the Yom Kippur shooting attack at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob Synagogue came to Parliament Hill today to share their firsthand experiences of the attack that brought their community dangerously close to a mass-casualty tragedy. Joined by Parliamentarians and CIJA, members of Belleville’s small Jewish community spoke about the fear of not knowing whether they would make it home from synagogue. With Canada’s new National Security Strategy released last week and Thursday’s federal budget approaching, survivors are calling on the government to need to take action to protect communities and prevent another attack. Watch this powerful testimony from Douglas Lobel, survivor of the Belleville synagogue attack. Full press conference available here: cpac.ca/headline-politics/ep…

Hate and antisemitism are scourges affecting communities across Canada, both large and small. In Owen Sound, Ontario, home to a small but vibrant Jewish community with roots dating to the late 19th century, Beth Ezekiel Synagogue is taking meaningful steps to push back against this trend through a focus on security and education. The synagogue will use an @ONsafety Safer and Vital Communities Grant to advance a project aimed at strengthening the safety of rural Jewish communities. Training to recognize and identify antisemitism is particularly important in the wake of the federal government's new Combatting Hate Act, which gives authorities additional tools to hold those responsible for hate-motivated crimes accountable and better protect Jewish institutions from hateful protests. Read more from @OwenSoundST here: owensoundsuntimes.com/news/o…

The findings of the Government of Canada’s Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences (CASE) report make clear that hate and antisemitism on university campuses demand urgent action. Today’s announcement by @UnivCan of its five-point action plan is an important step toward ensuring our campuses are places where all Canadians - regardless of background - can learn, teach, work and conduct cutting-edge research without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. We commend CEO @GabrielbMiller and university presidents for demonstrating leadership and committing to action. We are particularly encouraged by the plan’s emphasis on enforcement and institutional accountability. University leaders cannot resolve conflicts in the Middle East. But they can uphold their own institutional policies, enforce standards of conduct and ensure campuses remain places where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We also recognize Heritage Minister @MarcMillerVM's participation in this week’s discussion with university presidents and supporting a coordinated approach between governments and post-secondary institutions. The forthcoming release by @CdnHeritage of the second part of the CASE report will provide a further opportunity to advance this important work. CIJA and Jewish Federations across the country stand ready to work with governments and university leaders to ensure these commitments translate into concrete, meaningful action. Learn more: univcan.ca/news/universities…