Senators call on Carney to restore antisemitism envoy, step up fight against hate

A police car remains parked outside Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in Toronto on Sunday, March 8, 2026. The synagogue was struck by gunfire overnight.

OTTAWA — The Senate human rights committee is calling for more education, digital literacy outreach and a federal task force on hate to fight a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes and intimidation.

The senators also say Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government must restore the antisemitism envoy role it scrapped in February.

The government is folding that role, along with a separate envoy for combatting Islamophobia, into a new advisory council on rights, equality and inclusion.

The senators say they are particularly alarmed by a rise in Holocaust denialism among youth and Ottawa must capture data on hate and bias on digital platforms.

A report tabled this morning says Canadians must be able to discuss events in the Middle East with mutual respect and without blaming each other for events abroad.

Senators say they have heard that Jewish Canadians feel unsafe on campuses and persecuted in their workplaces, while synagogue shootings have them thinking about moving abroad.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press