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Or sign-in if you have an account.Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a visit with members of the Jewish community and law enforcement leaders at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Ontario on Monday, June 1, 2026. (Peter Power/Postmedia News)The Jewish community was glued to their screens earlier this week in anticipation of what solutions our prime minister, Mark Carney, might offer for the crisis of antisemitism in this country. No one failed to notice the by-invitation-only event meticulously orchestrated in a small auditorium at Holy Blossom Temple — keeping the problem of antisemitism internal to the Jewish community.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 AccountorI hoped Mr. Carney would seize the occasion as a statesman. I believed he might rise to the occasion recognizing the urgency, officially declaring the antisemitic pandemic in our nation a national emergency. It would have been historic. It would have been necessary. It would have sent a paramount message to all Canadians that the Jewish community is Canada and Canada includes the Jewish community. Temporarily invoking the Emergencies Act would allow the government to address violent antisemitism and terrorism as a public welfare and public order emergency.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 againThis was a missed opportunity. The problem of antisemitism is not the Jewish community’s problem. It’s a national Canadian security problem. To give weight to the matter as it deserves, Mr. Carney should have delivered a national prime-time address from the prime minister’s office or from Rideau Hall in Ottawa. But G-d forbid, that might have offended some Canadians — especially the antisemitic ones that have been marching on our streets and calling for our deaths since October 7.We were silenced. To avoid questions that might have exposed the truth about the government’s inability to respond to what Canada’s greatest national security threat is (e.g. Islamic Radicalism), many key Jewish Liberal supporters were used to fill the small room in the synagogue along with a handful of Liberal members of parliament. The already victimized Jewish community was silenced twice by Mr. Carney: No questions were allowed. No admittance to any Canadian with an opinion.Carney’s speech was eloquent, but purely performative. Like a Seinfeld episode, it was a staged performance about “nothing.” But unlike the famous comedy show, this was nothing to laugh about: after three years of our synagogues and people being shot at, hateful demonstrations on our streets, and possibly the highest recorded statistics of antisemitic incidents anywhere on the planet, the anger and backlash against Carney is palpable.Carney said nothing new and provided the very minimum any government should provide its citizens. Among the measures previously announced were continued work on Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act; a $36 million investment to confront online radicalization and hate; an additional $75 million in security assistance for synagogues, schools, and community institutions; and the creation of a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights and Inclusion, whose priority will be addressing antisemitism.Shockingly, aside from Marc Gold, to my knowledge, none of the council members are Jewish. It also hardly appears any of its members are experts in the field of antisemitism. But what is most disappointing is the appointment of a former Liberal Minister, Omar Alghabra, to the committee. Speaking to the Western Standard, Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre recalled, “I remember Mr. Alghabra lobbying me, before he was in politics, to keep Hezbollah legal. So, I’m not sure he’s the right guy to combat antisemitism.”Nothing will change. Mr. Carney completely missed the point. Standing at Holy Blossom Temple, with the Israeli flag displayed to his immediate right, the very least Mr. Carney could have done was to tell the antisemites that although sometimes there are disagreements between nations, Israel is a key friend and ally of Canada. He could have reiterated Canada’s long-standing relationship with Israel and reaffirmed our shared values of rights and freedoms encapsulated by democratic ideals.More importantly, Mr. Carney could have reiterated Canada’s belief that all people deserve to have freedom — including the Jewish people. That’s why Zionism — as the Jewish liberation movement — should resonate with every Canadian’s core value. He might have looked Canadians in the eye and said, “if you are anti-Zionist, you are antisemitic.” After all, Canada signed onto the international understanding that denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination by claiming Israel is a racist endeavour is antisemitic.Thankfully, our police services are rising to the challenge and defiantly working to protect Jewish citizens from the violent antisemitic terrorism infecting our cities. Like the Jewish community, they recognize this is a fight for the future of Canada — that the Jewish community is a litmus test for what might come next. Mr. Carney, it’s not too late to listen to the Jewish community and to rise to the occasion, as this historic time in our country demands.Avi Abraham Benlolo is the Chairman and CEO of The Abraham Global Peace Initiative, a Canadian think tank countering antisemitism, defending freedom and democracy.National Post 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.