Leaders within Toronto’s Jewish community are sounding a stark warning to governments at all levels, calling for urgent and coordinated action to confront violent extremism in Canada. Their appeal follows the arrest of a Toronto man on terrorism-related charges linked to the Islamic State group and the release of a federal intelligence assessment cautioning that attacks targeting Jewish communities remain a realistic possibility.
Community advocates say the convergence of terrorism allegations, hate-motivated criminal charges, and recent international attacks has created an atmosphere of deep concern — one they believe Canada can no longer afford to ignore.
Terrorism Arrest Sparks Alarm in Jewish Community
Charges Linked to ISIS and Hate-Motivated Violence
At the centre of the renewed concern is the arrest of 26-year-old Toronto resident Waleed Khan, who is facing seven terrorism-related charges under the Criminal Code of Canada. According to the RCMP, Khan is accused of conspiring to commit murder “for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group,” specifically ISIS.
Police further allege that Khan made himself available to facilitate terrorist activity, including actions or omissions outside Canada, and provided property — notably social media accounts — knowing they would be used by or benefit a terrorist organization.
Beyond the terrorism case, Khan is also one of three individuals collectively facing 79 criminal charges in a separate Toronto and Peel Regional Police investigation. Authorities say those charges stem from a series of attempted kidnappings and violent incidents in the Greater Toronto Area that were “informed, in part, by hate-motivated extremism” and targeted women and members of the Jewish community.
For Jewish leaders, the overlap between terrorism allegations and hate-driven local crimes underscores the seriousness of the threat.
“It’s absolutely chilling,” said Noah Shack, chief executive officer of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
Global Context Heightens Local Fears
Sydney Attack Reverberates in Canada
The charges come less than a week after a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia, where Jews celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach were gunned down by two armed men. Australian authorities have said the massacre was inspired by the Islamic State group.
Canadian authorities allege that Khan had ties to the same extremist organization, a link that has intensified anxiety among Jewish communities across the country.
“In Australia, it took the murder of a 10-year-old girl and 14 other innocent people for their government to wake up and start taking action,” Shack said. “We can’t afford to pay that cost here in Canada.”
Shack emphasized that the issue goes far beyond one community.
“There’s a serious problem in this country of radicalization, of extremism, of the glorification and promotion of terrorism and violence,” he said. “It’s not just an issue that impacts one group. It’s a fundamental matter of national security.”
Federal Intelligence Warns of Ongoing Threat
ITAC Assessment Highlights Risks to Jewish Communities
A classified federal intelligence briefing prepared by Canada’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre (ITAC) on Dec. 15 has added weight to those concerns. The document, obtained by CP24, warns that “a violent extremist attack in Canada, including one targeting the Jewish community, remains a realistic possibility.”
While the briefing notes that there is no specific intelligence pointing to an imminent, credible threat during the 2025 holiday season, it cautions that holiday gatherings — including Hanukkah celebrations across Western countries — are considered aspirational targets by violent extremists.
The assessment suggests that the same dynamics believed to have motivated the Bondi Beach attack could also exist in Canada.
“There is also a realistic possibility that the inspiration for this attack and subsequent target selection came from the 7 October 2023 attack in Israel and/or follow-on impacts felt in the West,” the report states.
Rising Extremist Propaganda and Hate Crimes
ITAC’s briefing highlights a broader and troubling trend: an increase in religiously motivated violent extremist (RMVE) propaganda from groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida, often exploiting social and religious grievances, including the Israel–Hamas conflict.
The report also points to Iranian-directed arson attacks in Australia in 2024 and notes that “these same conditions and drivers exist in Canada, to differing degrees.”
Police-reported hate crimes motivated by antisemitism have risen substantially in Canada since 2023, according to the assessment. ITAC warns that this increase “raises the likelihood of more individuals adopting violent extremist sentiment.”
Pattern of Antisemitic Attacks Across Canada
Recent Incidents Fuel Community Anxiety
Jewish leaders say the intelligence warning aligns with what communities have already been experiencing on the ground. In recent years, Canada has seen a series of attacks and incidents targeting Jewish spaces and individuals.
These include firebombings at synagogues in Vancouver and Montreal, repeated shootings at a Jewish girls’ school in Toronto in 2024, the defacing of the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, and the stabbing of a woman in the kosher section of a grocery store in the nation’s capital.
Taken together, Shack said, these incidents point to a pattern that cannot be dismissed as isolated acts.
“There’s been an inclination to turn a blind eye, to hope that if we just leave things alone, they’ll get better,” he said. “That hasn’t been the case. That’s been a grave mistake.”
Police and Government Response
Law Enforcement Steps Up Monitoring
Toronto police said in a statement Friday that there are currently “no known threats to Toronto’s Jewish community.” However, they confirmed that officers are actively monitoring the situation, coordinating with partners, and increasing police presence where necessary to ensure safety.
Shack praised law enforcement for the recent arrests and said Jewish organizations are grateful for the efforts to disrupt potential threats.
“We’re very grateful to law enforcement for catching these guys and taking them off the streets,” he said. “We’re glad to hear that there isn’t an imminent threat to our community from this.”
At the same time, he stressed that intelligence agencies themselves acknowledge the ongoing risk.
“It’s been made very clear to us by our national security apparatus that there is a realistic possibility of attacks taking place here in Canada,” Shack said.
Calls to Address Root Causes of Extremism
Concerns Over Rhetoric and Public Protests
Beyond policing and intelligence, Jewish leaders are urging governments to address what they see as the root causes of radicalization. Shack pointed to public protests over the past two years that, in his view, have crossed into rhetoric that glorifies or legitimizes violence.
“We need to focus on the promotion of terrorism, the glorification of terrorism that we have heard again and again on streets all across Canada,” he said. “Calling to globalize the Intifada or promoting violence and murder targeting Canadians is just not acceptable.”
Jewish groups argue that the phrase “globalize the Intifada” constitutes an explicit call for violence against Jews worldwide. Some Palestinian activists dispute that interpretation, saying the phrase can also refer to political resistance. Nonetheless, Shack said the impact of such language cannot be ignored in a climate of rising hate crimes.
Bail, Enforcement, and Legal Gaps
Concerns Over Release of Hate-Motivated Offenders
Shack also expressed concern about what he described as the relatively easy granting of bail to individuals charged with hate-motivated offences.
“We do need to make sure that hate and hate motivation is taken into consideration every time there is consideration of bail,” he said.
While he did not call for entirely new laws, Shack said stricter enforcement of existing anti-hate and anti-terrorism legislation would be a meaningful step forward.
In a written statement, CIJA warned that Canada is facing “a ticking time bomb” if leaders fail to act decisively.
Community Resilience Amid Heightened Security
Hanukkah Celebrations Continue Despite Risks
In response to the Bondi Beach attack and the domestic intelligence warnings, security has been increased at Jewish community spaces across the Greater Toronto Area. Police presence has been more visible at synagogues, schools, and cultural events.
Despite the heightened security environment, dozens of Hanukkah celebrations have continued across Toronto this week. Community leaders say maintaining public gatherings is an act of resilience.
Speaking at a menorah lighting ceremony earlier this week, Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who represents a riding with a large Jewish population, said it is vital for the community to continue celebrating openly.
“Continuing to gather, to celebrate, and to live Jewish life proudly is itself a response to extremism,” she said.
Conclusion: A Call for Urgent, Coordinated Action
For Jewish leaders, the combination of terrorism charges, intelligence warnings, and a surge in antisemitic incidents has crystallized a message they say governments can no longer delay acting upon.
“This is not hypothetical,” Shack said. “The warning signs are there.”
While law enforcement has disrupted immediate threats, community advocates argue that long-term safety will depend on confronting extremist ideology, enforcing existing laws, and taking hate motivation seriously at every stage of the justice system.
