Authorities across Canada are responding to a coordinated series of bomb threats that targeted over 100 Jewish organizations, synagogues, and some hospitals early Wednesday morning.
The threats came via identical emails delivered on Wednesday morning. The Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs provided True North with a copy of the email titled “Bombs in the Building.”
“We placed many explosives inside your building. They are placed in black backpacks. The bombs are set to go off in a few hours,” reads the email. “You will all end up in a pool of blood; none of you deserve to keep living. Everyone inside the building will lose their lives.”
The email sender claimed to represent a group that was behind the threats and asked that the group‘s name be shared with the media. True North has decided not to accede to this request while law enforcement authorities investigate the incident.
B’nai Brith Canada said that authorities are treating the threats as a hate crime and taking immediate action.
“This is not just an attack on our safety — it’s an attack on the fabric of Canadian society,” wrote B’nai Brith Canada in a post to X. “In a country where all citizens should feel safe, these cowardly threats aim to terrorize our communities and erode our Canadian values.”
The Jewish advocacy group said that the incitement of terror taking place across the country on streets and campuses has “created this permissive environment.”
“Enough is enough! Canada must not bow to terror. We must restore safety to our cities and ensure that every Canadian can live free from fear,” said B’nai Brith Canada. “Make Canada safe again! Make our cities safe again! Make our streets safe again! Make our campuses safe again!”
B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy, Richard Robertson, told True North that while the Jewish community must take every precaution to stay safe, they must not be intimidated.
“We hope that a thorough and comprehensive immediate investigation will bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice. What is clear is that this did not occur in a vacuum,” said Robertson. “For months, radicals have been allowed to spew inflammatory rhetoric without sufficient consequences. This atmosphere has emboldened hatemongers of all stripes to harass and target Jewish Canadians. Such unfettered hate is an attack on the values and freedoms held sacred by all Canadians.”
Eta Yudin, the vice president of Quebec’s division for the Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs, told True North they were in contact with law enforcement.
“There is no imminent threat. Jewish Canadians will not be intimidated — we will continue to take part in Jewish life. We will stay vigilant, but we will never be intimidated,” said Yudin.
The CIJA told True North that the RCMP is leading the investigation.
“You’ll note that the threats were generic and apparently sent to a number of religious institutions and hospitals. No mention of Jews, Israel, or Zionists were included in the threats,” said a spokesperson for the CIJA.
A spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service told True North that the TPS attended buildings on Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue for bomb threats, evacuating the buildings as a precaution. No further updates are available, but any updates will be provided on X or via a press release, said the Toronto Police Service.
The RCMP told True North that the Federal Policing National Security Program is investigating the source of the threats and that the safety and security of Canadians remains the federal police agency’s top priority.
“The RCMP is aware of threats made today to a number of institutions, including Synagogues and hospitals, across Canada. We are working with local law enforcement, who are actively responding to ensure locations are safe and secure,” a RCMP spokesperson told True North.
CIJA pointed to similar bomb threats sent from the same group to at least 100 hospitals and shopping malls in India on Tuesday.
According to The Pioneer, the emails included the same wording as those sent in Canada.
Despite making up less than 1% of Canada’s population, Jewish people were subject to 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2023, according to Statistics Canada.
Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said that 125 synagogues received a threat.
“Antisemitic hatred is spreading like a plague across our country and Trudeau is silent… It should never become normal for any worship services to be disrupted and evacuated from threats,” she said. “Canada is not the free country we know and love if the right to worship freely and safely needs to be protected… We will not back down in the fact of intimidation — it’s time for a government that takes these threats seriously.”
This is a developing story….