Michael Higgins: Flamethrower attack could easily happen in Canada
It would be redundant to call the flamethrower and Molotov cocktail attack in Colorado a wakeup call since the alarm bells have been ringing for some time, especially in Canada.
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Colorado happened just a week after two staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. were murdered and reveals, once again, that the rising tide of antisemitism shows no sign of abating in North America.
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In Canada, since October 7, antisemitism has flourished because of a lack of moral clarity from authorities and as a result of political leadership at all levels who are bound by an anti-Israel ideology.
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How serious is the federal government on 'combatting antisemitism' when the group tasked with findings ways to eradicate this particular evil recommended spending $10 million to 'address all forms of hate' and to provide $26.8 million to police colleges for training on 'all hate crimes.'
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When the National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism chooses to focus on hate generally then how are we ever to come up with an answer for Jew hatred. It's as if the federal government isn't really trying.
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The outrageous and brazen attacks against Jews in this country should have compelled governments to act, or at least to provide unequivocal moral leadership, which might have prevented the sympathetic response from some in authority to the hatemongers, like providing them with Tim Hortons coffee.
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In Colorado, a 45-year-old Egyptian national allegedly set elderly demonstrators on fire as they held a peace vigil in support of Israeli hostages being detained by Hamas in Gaza. Eight people were wounded. The suspect reportedly yelled 'free Palestine' during the attack.
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