The war between Israel and Hamas has led to an increase in “violent rhetoric” by “extremist actors” that could lead some in Canada to resort to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
The statement comes as newly released documents illustrate discussions last fall between the spy agency, the federal Department of Public Safety and Muslim and Jewish leaders over how to respond to a reported increase in hate crimes spurred by the conflict.
“While the long-term impacts of the current crisis cannot be easily predicted, it is clear that this conflict has increased tensions within our society,” spokesman Eric Balsam wrote.
“Violent rhetoric from extremist actors has increased since the Hamas attack and, as the conflict continues to develop, it is possible that these events could affect the intention of certain individuals to mobilize towards violence.”
The agency’s role is to monitor and identify any threats and alert the government. That does not include legal protests and dissent, which are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Balsam added.
Documents released by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act detail summaries of conversations federal officials held separately with Jewish and Muslim leaders about the current internal turmoil.
One of those documents says that representatives from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service “assured all participants that they will continue to monitor threats and look for evidence of attacks being planned.”
The agency remains in talks with leaders of the Muslim and Jewish communities to hear their concerns, Balsam said. Director David Vigneault met with the federal envoy to combat anti-Semitism and Islamophobia last fall, he added.
Over the course of their meetings, federal officials heard concerns from Muslim and Arab leaders about public rhetoric surrounding the war, including what one aide felt was “silence” from the government about how the situation in the Middle East East would affect the security of Palestinians and other Muslims living in Canada.
Concerns about freedom of expression also emerged.
“Activists are receiving backlash, being labeled as anti-Semitic and facing various consequences for shouting slogans such as ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, as well as for calling for an ‘intifada.’
In Arabic, intifada is a word with meanings that include shaking off oppression. In English, it is most commonly associated with two periods of particular intensity in the Israel–Palestine conflict, which included a series of attacks by Palestinian terrorist groups on public places within Israel.
Community leaders also told officials that activists were being “heavily surveilled” and “their right to freedom of expression is being stifled,” the memo said.
Internal emails sent to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, also obtained through freedom of information laws, show officers recording chants and slogans that appeared at what was billed as a pro-Palestinian protest held in Toronto at the end of October.
“It’s still legal and it doesn’t look like we’re going to escalate to violence,” wrote Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn.
Jewish leaders, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others, have denounced examples of protesters glorifying Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel at demonstrations in cities across Canada.
One of those incidents remains under investigation by Ottawa police.
The documents describe how federal officials consistently heard from Jewish leaders about the need for police to take more action to stop “hateful rhetoric expressed at demonstrations.” He specifically notes the use of the term “Zionist.”
“As an overwhelming majority of Jews identify as Zionists and believe in the need for a Jewish state… calls to attack Zionists should be seen as calls to attack Jews.”
The memo said the RCMP was equipping its front-line members with a “toolkit” that explains the historical context of the conflict to help officers “identify signs of overt and covert hate that may be seen at protests.”
The national force also encouraged local police to pay attention to Jewish-owned businesses and schools, not just synagogues and community centers, according to a summary dated Nov. 29.
The documents also indicate that Public Safety Canada would reach out to universities “to discuss de-escalating rising tensions and anti-Semitism on campuses.” He later said he was relaying information to schools “about the current threat environment.”
In the months since, protesters have set up pro-Palestinian camps at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and, most recently, the University of Toronto.
School administrators say hate will not be tolerated and warn that students will be punished if they violate university policy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
—With files from Dylan Robertson