Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cited a marked rise in antisemitism in Canada following the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent deadly air strikes in Gaza.

“Since this conflict broke out, there has been a very scary rise of antisemitism here at home,” Mr Trudeau said at a conference on fighting antisemitism.

Even before the ongoing conflict, he said, there had been a “steady rise” in antisemitism.

Mr Trudeau listed reports of a possible hate crime at a Jewish high school in Toronto last week, fears among visiting synagogues due to the possibility of being attacked, and heated online rhetoric as examples of the rising antisemitism in Canada.

Police in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, said they arrested three men on Thursday after they made threats at the Community Hebrew Academy.

Police have increased patrols in Jewish cultural centres, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.

The Canadian prime minister condemned Hamas and said he supported Israel’s right to self-defence while drawing a strong line between Hamas and pro-Palestinian voices.

“Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations. They do not speak for Muslim or Arab communities, and they do not represent the better futures that Palestinians or their children deserve,” Mr Trudeau said.

A Hamas October 7 rampage on southern Israeli communities left 1,300 people dead, and around 200 were taken into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as hostages.

Since then, Israel has bombarded Gaza, where health authorities say at least 3,000 people have been killed.

A hospital attack on Tuesday killed 500 Palestinians, with Israeli and Palestinian officials blaming each other.

(Reuters/NAN)