On Wednesday, over 100 Jewish institutions across Canada received email bomb threats, causing widespread concern. B’nai Brith reported that their Montreal and Toronto offices were among those targeted. Local authorities, including Montreal police, conducted investigations at the threatened locations.
The threats extended beyond synagogues and Jewish organizations to include hospitals in major cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. In response, Ottawa police increased their presence at several medical facilities. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has taken charge of a nationwide investigation into these incidents.
The scope of the threats, targeting Jewish centers and critical infrastructure in Canada’s most populous areas, has raised serious security concerns.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the situation on social media, expressing his disgust at the widespread threats against Jewish institutions. He condemned the acts as “blatant antisemitism,” highlighting the gravity of the situation and the government’s stance against such targeted intimidation.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) tweeted a statement saying, “We work closely with our partners at Federation CJA and the Community Security Network (CSN), as well as the Montreal Police. While there is no immediate indication that these synagogues are at imminent risk, individuals have once again threatened the safety of the Jewish community, its institutions, and its buildings. Our leaders must act decisively against the cancerous anti-Semitism that is plaguing our society. Enough is enough!”
Federation CJA Spokesperson Julien Corona told CBC News “They want to scare us in a way that is quite emotional, quite visual. By referencing disgusting things, the goal is to intimidate so that the Jewish community does not feel safe where it is supposed to feel safe. It’s unacceptable and it is also proof of the rising antisemitism in our country.”
MEANWHILE, DOWN UNDER
In a parallel incident, multiple hospitals in Victoria, Australia, were targeted with bomb threats, which Australian media sources suspect to be part of a wider international hoax. Victoria Police launched an investigation after several medical facilities, including The Austin Hospital, received emails claiming explosives had been planted within their premises. These messages warned that the supposed bombs were scheduled to detonate within hours.
Despite the alarming nature of the threats, none of the affected hospitals initiated lockdown procedures. A spokesperson for Victoria Police indicated that authorities were treating the emails as a probable hoax. This measured response suggests that law enforcement had reasons to doubt the credibility of the threats, even as they conducted their investigation.
The incident in Australia, occurring alongside similar threats in Canada, points to a potentially coordinated false alarm campaign targeting healthcare institutions and other vulnerable facilities across multiple countries.
