OTTAWA – A new report says Canada is facing an unprecedented increase in anti-Semitic incidents, especially on university campuses, and urges the federal government to take action.
The report by the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism also suggests legislators and others are not clear on what constitutes anti-Semitism.
After two years of hearings, the coalition wants Ottawa to adopt "a clear and concise definition of what antisemitism entails."
At the same time, it urges the federal government to develop police training to counter anti-Semitism.
It also wants Ottawa to sponsor conferences at universities in response to Israeli Apartheid Week, an annual event aimed at raising awareness of Israel’s Palestinian policies.
The parliamentary coalition was formed in March 2009 by 22 MPs from all federal parties and aims to confront and combat anti-Semitism in Canada.
Last fall, the group co-hosted a conference in Ottawa involving similar-minded legislators from more than 50 countries.
The conference produced the Ottawa Protocol on Combating Antisemitism which, among other things, expressed concern over the "dramatic increase" in recorded anti-Semitic hate crimes and attacks worldwide.
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