Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced the stabbing of a Jewish woman in Ottawa’s kosher grocery store, pledging solidarity with Canada’s Jewish community amid a surge in antisemitic hate crimes.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday condemned the antisemitic stabbing attack on a Jewish woman in Ottawa, calling the incident “deeply disturbing” and vowing to confront rising hate.
“The senseless attack on a Jewish woman in an Ottawa grocery store this week is deeply disturbing. My thoughts are with her, her family, and Ottawa’s Jewish community,” Carney posted on X.
“To Canada’s Jewish community: you are not alone. We stand with you against hate and threats to your safety, and we will act to confront antisemitism wherever it appears.”
The victim, a woman in her 70s, was stabbed Wednesday afternoon at Loblaws, a grocery store well known for its kosher food section and often targeted by anti-Israel protests. She was treated in hospital and later released.
Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said the woman had entered the store with a friend when she was attacked by a man with a knife. Officers arrested the suspect on the spot without incident. A 71-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. Police confirmed the victim and attacker were not previously acquainted.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) condemned the assault, warning that while the motive is still under investigation, it must be seen within the wider context of rising antisemitism in Canada since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre and the war in Gaza.
“Anti-Jewish hate, antisemitism, and violence have been normalized,” said Josh Landau, CIJA’s Ontario government affairs director. “Jewish institutions, businesses, and community members have been increasingly singled out by extremists.”
The Ottawa attack comes amid an alarming spike in antisemitic incidents nationwide:
- In 2024, Canadian Jews faced 920 police-reported hate crimes, making them the most targeted religious group in the country.
- Jews were found to be 25 times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than other Canadians.
- Though slightly down from 959 incidents in 2023, antisemitic attacks remain far above 2022 levels (527 incidents).
Earlier this summer, Ottawa’s National Holocaust Monument was vandalized with red paint and graffiti reading “feed me,” an act linked to a former city lawyer who was later dismissed and charged.
The Ottawa stabbing and recent vandalism underline what Jewish groups describe as a climate of fear and hostility, as antisemitic hate crimes continue to surge across Canada.
