After a Jewish father was beaten on a Montreal street in front of his child, Gideon Sa’ar demands Ottawa step up its fight against antisemitism as hate crime data paints a grim picture.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has issued a sharp rebuke to the Canadian government, urging it to intensify efforts against antisemitism after a shocking street attack on a Jewish man in Montreal went viral online.
The 32-year-old victim, assaulted in front of his daughter in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension district, was repeatedly struck before the assailant fled. Montreal police confirmed the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and have launched a full investigation.
Sharing the video on his X account, Sa’ar wrote:
“The incident shown in this video is shocking and stomach-turning. A Jewish father was beaten in front of his daughter in Montreal, Canada. These are images reminiscent of dark periods of Jewish persecution. This is appalling. The Canadian government must do more to fight antisemitism!”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the assault:
“The attack on a Jewish father in Montreal, in front of his own children, is an appalling act of violence. Everyone in Canada has an inalienable right to live in safety.”
The attack comes against a backdrop of surging antisemitic hate crimes in Canada. Statistics Canada reported 920 police-reported antisemitic incidents in 2024 — making Jews the most targeted religious group in the country and 25 times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than other Canadians. While slightly down from the record 959 incidents in 2023, the number remains far higher than the 527 reported in 2022.
Jewish advocacy groups warn that without decisive government action, the rising tide of antisemitism — intensified since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the ensuing Gaza war — will only deepen.
