Toronto Synagogues Shot At — Jewish Community Demands Concrete Action From Prime Minister

Over the weekend, two Toronto synagogues were struck by gunfire, and a separate synagogue was hit by roughly 20 rounds days earlier during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Authorities say there were no injuries in any of the three incidents, but the attacks have intensified calls from Canada’s Jewish community for concrete government action beyond public expressions of concern.

Temple Emanu-El in Toronto, Canada was shot at on March 3, 2026. No injuries were reported.(Getty Images)

Community and Official Reactions

On X, Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incidents as "antisemitic and criminal attacks" that "violate the right of Canadian Jewish men and women to live and pray in complete safety" and said they "represent a serious assault on the way of life of all Canadians."

Anti-Israel demonstrators gather outside Union Station during a rally in Toronto, Ontario on Jan. 4, 2024.

Carney: "These antisemitic and criminal attacks violate the right of Canadian Jewish men and women to live and pray in complete safety."

Israel’s National Security Council advised Israelis abroad to be vigilant after the first shooting, recommending that they conceal Jewish and Israeli identifiers in public and avoid locations associated with Israel or Judaism. Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X: "All eyes are on Canada: it’s time to halt the unprecedented wave of Jew-hatred that has erupted since October 7th."

Anti-Israel protesters gather outside the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue on March 7, 2024. The place of worship was one of three synagogues shot at in the first week of March 2026.

Rising Incidents and Statistics

Like other Western countries, Canada has recorded a marked rise in antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. The League for Human Rights B’nai Brith Canada reported 6,219 incidents of antisemitism in 2024 — an average of 17 incidents per day, more than double the roughly eight per day recorded in 2022. Public Safety Canada said that, from April to June 2025, 69% of religion-targeted hate crimes were directed at the Jewish community.

Political Fallout

Conservative MP Roman Baber blamed Prime Minister Carney and other Liberal politicians for "adding fuel to the fire of Jew hatred in Canada," and criticized Carney’s earlier remarks and policy moves. Baber pointed to an April 2025 campaign event where a heckler shouted, "There is a genocide happening in Gaza," and said Carney’s reply — "I’m aware, that’s why we have an arms embargo" — amounted to furthering tensions. Carney later said he had not heard the heckler use the word "genocide."

Baber also condemned Carney’s recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing it "rewarded the brutality of Hamas" and noting the timing of the announcement on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. In announcing recognition, Carney said that recognizing "the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas," and that the decision "in no way legitimizes terrorism, nor is it any reward for it," adding that recognition does not compromise "Canada’s steadfast support for the State of Israel, its people, and their security."

Calls For Justice and Deterrence

Watchdog group StopAntisemitism told reporters that antisemitism remains a "real and dangerous threat" and urged that those responsible be "punished to the fullest extent of the law so that justice is served and deterrence is clear." Community leaders are pressing for concrete safety measures, enhanced investigations, and clearer government policy responses.

Note to editors and fact-checkers: The article references "Prime Minister Mark Carney." Please verify the accuracy of the officeholder name and title in official records before publication.