B.C. premier condemns rise in hate crimes stemming from Israeli-Hamas conflict

A woman holding an Israeli flag is surrounded by police officers as she shouts at people who were attending a demonstration in support of Palestinians, in Vancouver, on Thursday, October 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Victoria -

British Columbia Premier David Eby is condemning the rise in hate crimes in the province, driven by the Israeli-Hamas war.

Eby says in a written statement that his office has heard “directly” about a number of acts of antisemitism, such as the vandalism of a rabbi's home and two Jewish women being threatened with violence after a rally.

He says there are also increased reports of hate incidents from Muslim organizations in the province, including an incident where two women were attacked in Vancouver.

Eby says there is equally “no place for Islamophobia or anti-Palestinian hate” in B.C. as there is “no place for antisemitism or anti-Israeli hate.”

More than 1,400 people have died in Israel since the deadly incursion by Hamas on Oct. 7, while authorities in Gaza say the death toll has passed 7,300 in the territory since the war began.

Both Israeli and Palestinian supporters have held large-scale public rallies in British Columbia since the conflict started, with Vancouver police saying officers responded to more than 1,600 incidents last weekend - driven partially by nine protests in the city's downtown core.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2023.