Mayor John Tory has released a statement on the concerning and unacceptable rise in anti-Semitism.

“We will not let hatred take root in our city and we will not let it grow.”

Tory is urging anyone who witnesses an act of hate against the Jewish community to report it to police. The Police Hate Crimes Unit says the Jewish Community was the most frequently victimized group in 2020 and continues to rise in recent weeks.

Tory met Tuesday night with members of the city’s Jewish community, city councillors and Police Chief Ramer in light of the troubling rise in cases.

Mayor Tory’s full statement on anti-Semitism

“Last night, I met with members of the city’s Jewish community together with Councillors Pasternak, Colle, and Matlow and Police Chief Jim Ramer to discuss an extremely concerning and unacceptable rise in anti-Semitism.

We know from the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit that the Jewish community was the most frequently victimized group in 2020. Anti-Semitic attacks have continued in 2021 with an extremely troubling rise in recent weeks and months.

I want to be very clear that anti-Semitic acts are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our city.

I have heard the valid concerns of the Jewish community and I stand with them against this hatred.

This is a community that includes survivors of the Holocaust and their descendants – they know all too well the danger of anti-Semitism and the tragedies that follow when it is allowed to stand unchallenged.

That is why we are committed as a city to confronting anti-Semitism – in all its forms – and ensuring Toronto Police are supported in the pursuit of hate crimes.

We will not let hatred take root in our city and we will not let it grow. This is why our Toronto For All public education initiative this year will target anti-Semitism and why we have worked to put in place policies to stop hate rallies in our city.

While we all have more work to do in the weeks, months, and years ahead to continue to confront anti-Semitism, I believe it was important to the Jewish community and to our entire city to send a clear message reaffirming that there is no place for any kind of attacks on the Jewish community in Toronto.

I urge anyone who witnesses an act of hate against our Jewish community to report it to police and to never be afraid to stand up to anti-Semitism.

Along with a rise in incidents of anti-Semitism, we are also currently seeing a deeply concerning global increase in polarized discourse that includes a disturbing rise in racist and discriminatory behaviour, including but not limited to Islamophobia, anti-Asian, and anti-Black racism, and hatred directed at our Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

As Mayor of Toronto, I am the Mayor of all of the wonderfully diverse communities who call our city home. That is why I have met with and will continue to meet with members of the Black community to address their concerns about anti-Black racism. In the coming days, I also plan to meet with members of the Muslim and Asian communities to hear their concerns about incidents of Islamophobia and Anti-Asian racism in our city.

This is a crucially important part of my job as Mayor – to meet with all communities to address their concerns and ensure that in Toronto we confront hatred anywhere we find it and ensure everyone, without exception, feels respected and safe.”