Montreal synagogue targeted in antisemitic attack for second time in a year
Montreal police arrested a man suspected of attempting to commit an arson attack on a synagogue Thursday night, Canadian media reported Friday.
Officers were dispatched around midnight Thursday local time to Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Westmount, Quebec, after a 911 call reporting someone trying to start a fire at the place of worship. The 38-year-old suspect, who has not been identified, allegedly broke a window in an attempt to set a fire inside the synagogue. Emergency responders said the building suffered minor damage and no one was injured.
Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom was previously vandalized last year with antisemitic graffiti.
The attempted arson also comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new federal advisory council to address antisemitism. In his remarks introducing the measure, he said Canada was facing a “crisis of antisemitism” that had “surged to levels not seen in the post-war period.”
Government data shows that of 1,342 religion-based hate crimes reported in 2024, about 70% targeted the Jewish community, which makes up roughly 1% of Canada’s population.
