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 Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day 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 HomeNewsCanadaIsrael & Middle EastShopify president fears for future of Jews in Canada as families contemplate what was ‘unthinkable five years ago’‘The grandchildren of people who fled to Canada are now asking whether they should flee from it. My answer is no,’ Harley Finkelstein saysLast updated Jul 11, 2026 You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Harley Finkelstein: “The test isn't whether the government describes the (antisemitism) problem well. It's whether a Jewish family feels safer walking into their community centre a year from now.” Photo by Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette/Postmedia/FileThe president of Canada’s biggest tech company says antisemitism has been “normalized under the thinnest veil of advocacy,” and many members of the Jewish community are thinking about their future 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 AccountorHarley Finkelstein was confronted, again, by an aggressive protester at Montreal’s Startupfest on Wednesday, the third time in two years he has been aggressively challenged in public for his support of Israel.Finkelstein was verbally attacked while talking with former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre on stage. An anti-Israel political activist burst in, went to the side of the stage and filmed Finkelstein while asking about the Gaza war. Finkelstein told the protester he was embarrassing himself, and he was escorted out.Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Channel Israel will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againFinkelstein discussed the event, and the current environment for Canada’s Jewish community, in an email interview with National Post:Why do you think this has happened repeatedly at Startupfest?It’s not about Startupfest. The festival is a celebration of entrepreneurship and one of the best things about the Canadian tech ecosystem. What’s changed is that visible Jews in public life have become targets, regardless of the venue or the topic. I’ve now been disrupted at a podcast about Jewish entrepreneurs, at the opening of a Jewish community centre, and at a fireside chat about building companies. None of those events had anything to do with politics. The only common thread is me, a proud Jew, on a stage.Was (the same protester) behind both instances?I don’t know who was behind it, and honestly, I’m not going to give any individual the profile they’re looking for. This is bigger than one person. What matters is the pattern, not the name.Can you share more about your emotional reaction? Your parents?My parents were sitting in the front row. My father (the son of Holocaust survivors) came to Canada in 1956 fleeing persecution in Hungary, because this country promised safety and the freedom to live openly as Jews. Watching their faces while a man screamed accusations at their son is something I won’t forget. Not because I was rattled. I wasn’t. But because they’ve seen this before, and they believed Canada was the place where their kids would never have to.What does this tell us about antisemitism in Canada today?That it has been normalized under the thinnest veil of advocacy. Jews are roughly one per cent of Canada’s population and account for about 70 per cent of religion-motivated hate crimes. Behaviour that would be instantly recognized as bigotry against any other community gets rationalized when Jews are the target. That’s the part that has to end. Naming it isn’t inflammatory. It’s necessary.Are you seeing friends and relatives contemplating the ‘Plan B’ option of leaving Canada?Yes, and that should alarm every Canadian. I know families having conversations around their kitchen tables that would have been unthinkable five years ago. The grandchildren of people who fled to Canada are now asking whether they should flee from it. My answer is no. I’m staying, I’m building, and I’m raising my kids here proudly and visibly. But the fact that the question is being asked at all is the indictment.What did you make of Mark Carney’s acknowledgement, and his proposed solution?Saying that Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians was an important admission, and I give the prime minister real credit for naming it plainly. Bill C-9, which would make it a criminal offence to obstruct access to community centres and places of worship, addresses exactly what happened to me in Ottawa. But I’m an entrepreneur, so I judge everything the same way: not by the announcement, but by the execution and, most importantly, the impact. Councils and frameworks don’t protect anyone on their own. Enforcement does. Consequences do. The test isn’t whether the government describes the problem well. It’s whether a Jewish family feels safer walking into their community centre a year from now.What does Canada need to do to stop it?Three things. Name it without hedging: this is antisemitism, not a policy debate. Enforce the laws we already have, and the new ones, with real consequences, because right now people disrupt Jewish events knowing nothing will happen to them. And stop rationalizing it. Every time harassment gets excused as advocacy, it escalates. What we tolerate next will define us.Anything else you want to add?Only this: what gives me hope is the room. Hundreds of founders booed him down and cheered as he was walked out. They saw it for what it was, instantly. Most Canadians want no part of this hate.National PostOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. 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.