Jews have been subject to more hate crimes in Toronto in 2022 than any other group.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) has published its 2022 hate crimes report, revealing that hate crimes targeting Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ populations are the most reported to police, accounting for all hate crimes respectively. 26%, 19% and 16% represent. The report published on Thursday calls for 242 hate crimes to be reported in 2022, a six% decrease from 2021, well above the ten-year average of 173.
Toronto’s Jewish community was targeted in 63 incidents of hate crime in 2022. Although comprising only 3.4% of Toronto’s population, the Jewish community was the victim of approximately 26% of all hate crimes. Anti-Semitic hate crimes have increased by 50% in the past three years.
In response to the report, GTA Vice President at the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Noah Shack, issued a comment: “We are alarmed to see the seriousness of the impact of hate crime on Toronto’s Jewish, Black and LGBTQ2S communities. It is having an effect. Hate doesn’t only affect its intended victims; It is corrosive to our entire society. One hate crime targeting any group is one too many in our city. Antisemitism is on the rise in Canada and around the world. The Jewish community accounts for only 3.4% of Toronto’s population, but was disproportionately targeted by 26% of reported hate crimes. It is worrying that while there has been an overall decline in hate crimes in Toronto, there has been a 14% increase in anti-Semitism incidents.