Local Jewish communities feel lingering impacts on 3rd anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks

It’s been three years since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, and the impacts are still being felt.

Israel’s war in Gaza, a response to the Oct. 7 attacks, persists and antisemitism has been on the rise around the world ever since, including in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara.

The CEO of the Hamilton Jewish Federation, Marion Zeller, says that in the last three years, Canada has become unsafe for Jews and because of that, local police departments, including here in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara, have officers stationed outside synagogues.

It’s been three years since Hamas militants violently attacked a music festival in Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.

Since then, life has become increasingly difficult for Jews around the world, including here in Canada.

READ MORE: Police investigating reports Israeli flags were lit on fire in Toronto

“Since Oct. 7th, the Hamilton Jewish Community has grown by an influx of Israelis who actually moved here to look for a safe haven, and I think for them — on days like today and the past weekend with Belleville — it’s very shocking for them that they think they left a country where terrorism was something that was more likely to happen to them, and yet they’ve come to Canada for peace and a stable life, and now they’re sitting in a situation where they are concerned,” said Zeller.

Just last month, police in Belleville killed a man they say had the means to carry out a mass shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue.

In Toronto, someone lit fire to Israeli flags on Wednesday, in an incident police are calling a hate-motivated attack.

Police services in Hamilton, Halton, and Niagara have increased patrols outside of local synagogues.

“On the one hand, it’s disturbing — no place of worship should have to have something like this, no one should have to have the police on call outside their place of worship regardless of which religion you are,” said Zeller. “We should be able to feel free walking to our place of worship. But on the other hand, it also means our community feels one piece safer than they did before. Knowing that we have the support of the local police and we can call on them to, for example, be here today and keep us protected.”

READ MORE: Stoney Creek man charged in connection with hate-related content posted online

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke about the third anniversary of the attack on Wednesday, saying, “this is a somber anniversary of unspeakable tragedy.”

“The government has been taking actions at home to protect the jewish community, protect all Canadians, but particularly the Jewish community,” said Carney. “Above and beyond protection is about the ability to truly thrive as Jewish people in Canada.”

But Carney admitted that a lot of work still needs to be done, to ensure all Canadians can live openly and freely in our society.

“Many Jews in Canada and outside of Israel would go as far as to say that we don’t necessarily agree with the politics in Israel,” said Zeller. “To be fair, I think many Israelis don’t agree with the politics in Israel, but we as Canadians do not have a right to vote. We don’t have a right to interfere with the politics.”

To honour the victims killed in the attacks, the Hamilton Jewish Federation will be displaying work from a Jewish photographer, Humans of October 7th, which shows the spirit and resilience of the Israeli people.

READ MORE: Walk With Israel draws tens of thousands in Toronto amid tight security