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Marc Pinizzotto's killing points to a tragic political failureLast updated 2 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.The shooting death of Toronto Const. Marc Pinizzotto during the "high-risk" execution of a search warrant on Thursday has been linked to a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in March and an FBI terrorism investigation. Photo by Toronto Police handoutThe shooting death of Toronto police officer Marc Pinizzotto is another tragic sign that what Prime Minister Mark Carney called the “civic compact” has badly fractured in Canada.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 AccountorThere are indications that the death of the veteran officer of 18 years service is linked to the unprecedented levels of antisemitism in this country and the extremists behind it who care nothing for Canadian values.For years, the Jewish community has been warning about the dangers of radicalized youth and that antisemitism in this country would eventually affect other Canadians.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 againSadly, they have been proved right.Pinizzotto, a member of Toronto’s Emergency Task Force, was part of a team carrying out a “high-risk” search warrant early Thursday morning at a Toronto apartment complex.During an exchange of gunfire, Pinizzotto was fatally injured.The police raid was in connection with a shooting at Toronto’s U.S. Consulate in March when two men fired their guns at the building. Police called it a “national security incident.”It now appears that the consulate shooting may have ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a terror group operating in Canada. For years, the Liberals were pressured to list the IRGC as a terror group, but did so only in 2024.The designation came six years after the House of Commons, including the Liberals, supported a motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity, and four years after the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines’ Flight 752, killing all 176 people onboard, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.Appallingly, in March of this year, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree admitted there were at least 24 IRGC members in Canada but only one had been deported.And Canada’s report on foreign interference noted that Iran relies on “criminal groups to carry out its activities.”Canada has a problem with terrorists and the Liberal government needs to urgently address it.U.S. prosecutors believe the consulate shooting was orchestrated by Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a commander of an Iraqi militia called Kataib Hezbollah, which itself is a proxy for the IRGC.According to a criminal complaint filed in New York, al-Saadi was “running multiple teams” targeting Jewish sites in the U.S., Canada and Europe.“As alleged, for years, al-Saadi committed himself to furthering the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, two terrorist organizations dedicated to harming the United States and its allies.“As alleged in the complaint, al-Saadi directed and urged others to attack U.S. and Israeli interests and to kill Americans and Jews in the U.S. and abroad, and in doing so advance the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”Al-Saadi has pleaded not guilty to 18 attacks in Europe.He has also been linked to the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, London, England.In his speech to Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple on June 1, Carney mentioned the Golders Green attack by saying that the scourge of antisemitism was now plaguing Europe and the U.S.The prime minister spent a lot of time on the theme of “our differences are strengths to be nurtured” and “pluralism in Canada is not the exception to the framework. Pluralism is the framework.”“This is how we hold ourselves together,” he said. “I do not pretend this is always easy. Differences generate friction.”And yet for years, the Liberals have been content to ignore the rising tide of antisemitism and the warnings from the Jewish community.This year’s B’nai Brith Canada’s report on antisemitic attacks in 2025 reported a staggering 6,800 incidents, a 9.3 per cent rise from the previous year.But the hate was always much more than about the Jewish community.“Antisemitism is not only a Jewish problem. It is a Canadian problem,” wrote Simon Wolle, chief executive officer of B’nai Brith. “It strikes at the very foundation of a pluralistic, democratic society.“When Jewish communities are targeted, the social fabric of this country is weakened for everyone,” he wrote. “Antisemitism is not only rising, it is becoming more normalized, more visible, and, in some cases, more brazen.”And he added, “After all, the safety of one community is inseparable from the safety of all.”At Holy Blossom, Carney admitted that there had been a breach in the covenant Canada had made with the Jewish people and warned people about importing their hate here.“We do not welcome the world’s hatreds,” said Carney. “When you come to Canada, you bring your faith, your tradition, your language, your story. You leave behind your animosities.”But the hatreds and the animosities are here. They can be seen in the firebombings of synagogues, the shootings at Jewish schools, and tragically, in the death of a Toronto police officer carrying out dangerous and ultimately fatal work.Carney thinks he can end all this by creating some bureaucratic council to “combat racism and hate in all their forms.”But the prime minister doesn’t get it and the Liberals haven’t gotten it for the past 11 years.The problem isn’t hate in all its forms, it’s antisemitism. The hatred on the street is targeting Jews. The extremists and the terrorists are after Jews. But that doesn’t mean other Canadians will not be caught in the gunfire.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.
Michael Higgins: Did ignoring warnings about terrorism lead to police officer's death?
Const. Marc Pinizzotto's killing points to a tragic political failure













