Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Tech Style & Beauty Kitchen & Dining Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentTasha Kheiriddin: Mark Carney in denial over what's behind antisemitismNewcomers have a responsibility to respect the laws and customs of the place they choose to call homeLast updated 26 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the audience after speaking at Holy Blossom Temple synagogue in Toronto on Monday June 1, 2026. Ernest Doroszuk/PostmediaMark Carney is usually good at speaking truth to power, but yesterday he failed. In an address to Jewish Canadians at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, he named the problem — rampant antisemitism — but failed to offer a solution. He failed to send a message to those causing the problem. And he failed to understand the nature of Canada itself.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorCarney said that Canada was not founded on a “single creed, race, language, or faith.” That we “have held our differences in common, beginning — after a long period of struggle and oppression — with the French and English accommodation.” That “pluralism is the framework of our nation.”This is the prevailing Liberal narrative, but it is inaccurate. Canada was not founded on a single creed, true, but two: an English-French duality of languages, faiths, and legal traditions which shaped its customs and institutions. This entrenched Judeo-Christian values in Canada’s common culture.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againIt is because of these values that Canada could welcome and absorb successive generations of immigrants of all faiths and creeds. Pluralism is not the “framework” of our nation, as Carney claims: it is the result of its founding values, a worldview rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, which preaches tolerance and respect for the rights of all people.Many countries rooted in other faiths, cultures and creeds aren’t pluralist, or compassionate, or respectful of individual will. Shariah law in fundamentalist Muslim countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen demands that women must be veiled, thieves’ hands cut off, and adulterers stoned. Those same countries impose the death penalty for same-sex acts.Would we tolerate any of this in Canada? No. Why? Because we don’t believe these things are ok. And why don’t we? Because our belief system is different. It was shaped by different forces and has provided a refuge for people who faced persecution, wanted a better life for their family, and sought to live in peace and freedom, unlike the places they left behind.That is what Carney should have said. Instead, he went on to claim that we have “the responsibility of ensuring that everyone can be their whole selves in Canada.”Actually, we don’t. If being your whole self means terrorizing fellow Canadians in the name of your personal beliefs, shooting bullets into Jewish schools, yelling threats and epithets for hours in front of seniors’ homes, or taking over public spaces, it’s not welcome here.Carney said that “When you come to Canada, you bring your faith, your tradition, your language, your story. You leave behind your wars and your animosities.” But here’s the problem. Some people’s whole self is that animosity. They see in Canada a place where they can continue to grind their axe — and until now, we have let them do so.Citizenship is a two-way street. Newcomers have a responsibility to respect the laws and customs of the place they choose to call home. When they not only fail to embrace Canada’s basic values, but repudiate them, there must be consequences: fines, arrests, deprivation of liberty, and in the case of non-citizens, removal from the country. Let me be clear.That’s what Carney should have said. Instead, he listed his government’s actions to date, including Bill C-9, the Combating Hate Law. He announced the creation of a Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion, one of whose jobs will be to study antisemitism. It includes one lone Jewish member, former senator Marc Gold, and features Omar Alghabra, an MP who has been photographed numerous times in the company of Islamic extremists.This is BS. Canada doesn’t need another council to study a problem that Carney described quite fully in his remarks. Canadian Jews need to feel safe in their homes and communities. And all of us need an end to denial, inaction and the toleration of hate.Postmedia NewsTasha Kheiriddin is Postmedia’s national politics columnist. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.