Israel solidarity walk in Toronto needed amid rising antisemitism, organizer says

Tens of thousands of radical gathered successful Toronto connected Sunday for an yearly fundraising locomotion successful solidarity with Israel — an lawsuit participants said is peculiarly needed this twelvemonth owed to rising antisemitism.

The Jewish assemblage has felt progressively isolated aft the Hamas-led attacks connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, and a melodramatic summation successful antisemitism successful Canada since then, said Sara Lefton, main improvement serviceman for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, which hosts the walk.

"We privation our neighbours, friends and colleagues successful Toronto to basal with america due to the fact that it is simply a horrific clip for our community," she said.

Statistics Canada reports a 71 per cent summation successful hatred crimes targeting the Jewish colonisation betwixt 2022 and 2023, with the largest summation seen aft the Oct. 7 attacks and the consequent warfare successful Gaza.

Meanwhile, Toronto constabulary said they person received reports of 43 "antisemitic occurrences" truthful acold this twelvemonth — representing 43 per cent of each reported hatred crimes successful 2025. That's a 48 per cent alteration successful reports compared to this clip past year, constabulary said connected Sunday.

The solidarity locomotion took spot days aft two Israeli Embassy employees were changeable and killed extracurricular a Jewish depository successful Washington, D.C. Investigators and leaders astir the satellite person denounced the killings arsenic a targeted, antisemitic hatred crime.

"Watching the horrific murders successful Washington, D.C., is truly a dose of world for each of america of what tin hap erstwhile hatred is near unchecked," Lefton said.

WATCH | UJA Federation of Greater Toronto held vigil to people 1st anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks:

About 56,000 radical participated successful Sunday's walk, the UJA said successful a quality release.

Stuart Lewis said helium joined the lawsuit due to the fact that the close to unrecorded arsenic Jews successful Israel and Toronto is "under attack."

"I'm present to enactment our rights present successful Toronto, Canada and successful Israel," helium said.

But Molly Kraft, an advocator with the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, said she is offended by the thought the locomotion is "somehow for Jewish trauma oregon Jewish safety."

"As a Jewish person, I judge successful warring antisemitism arsenic well, but I deliberation [the locomotion is] astir supporting a subject superpower that's hellhole bent connected occupation, genocide and destroying Palestinian life," she said. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide successful its warfare successful Gaza, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. 

Israel's National Security Council upgraded its question alert for Canada connected Sunday from Level 1, which means nary question warning, to Level 2, which means "potential menace level."

The assembly said planned counter-protests to pro-Israel rallies connected Sunday person resulted successful discourse, "including what could beryllium understood arsenic calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews astatine these events."

It recommended "that those attending the enactment rallies perceive to information unit and section constabulary astatine the events, obey their instructions and debar immoderate friction with the anti-Israel protests." 

Walk comes aft Canada calls for assistance to Gaza

Sunday's locomotion began astatine Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto synagogue and continued northbound connected Bathurst Street, ending with a festival astatine UJA's Sherman Campus. There was a dense constabulary beingness on the route, including a fig of officers connected bicycles.

Toronto constabulary had said connected Saturday determination would beryllium a "strong presence" astatine the event, including constabulary from York, Durham and Peel regions, arsenic good arsenic the OPP.

A 57-year-old antheral was arrested astatine about 12 p.m. aft allegedly yelling antisemitic slurs astatine radical attending the walk, Toronto constabulary said. He has been charged with mischief interfering with property and causing a disturbance. The probe is being treated arsenic a suspected hate-motivated offence, constabulary said.

The UJA's website said that arsenic of Sunday afternoon, the locomotion has raised much than $670,000. That's much than successful erstwhile years, Lefton said.

"The lawsuit contiguous is truly astir families coming unneurotic to observe our individuality and basal united," she said. "It's not a governmental event."

But Kraft objected to this description.

"You cannot person this locomotion for Israel arsenic this casual, household hangout for a authorities that is enacting 1 of the astir convulsive genocides that we've ever seen," she said.

The lawsuit took spot aft the leaders of Canada, Britain and France warned connected May 19 that their countries could instrumentality punitive enactment if Israel does not halt a renewed subject violative successful Gaza and assistance assistance restrictions to the population.

"The Israeli government's denial of indispensable humanitarian assistance to the civilian colonisation is unacceptable and risks breaching planetary humanitarian law," a associated connection released by Prime Minister Mark Carney's bureau said.

Earlier this week, Israel began allowing humanitarian assistance trucks into Gaza, aft placing a astir three-month blockade connected assistance supplies that brought radical successful the enclave to the brink of famine. But assistance groups person said supplies inactive haven't reached Palestinians successful need.

The United Nations has warned that 14,000 children successful Gaza are astatine hazard of terrible malnutrition implicit the adjacent 11 months if captious assistance doesn't arrive.

Nova philharmonic festival subsister successful attendance

The UJA Federation said successful a quality merchandise that funds raised during Sunday's locomotion "will enactment urgent humanitarian alleviation and semipermanent betterment efforts successful Israel, with a absorption connected aiding families and communities inactive rebuilding aft the trauma of October 7th."

Lefton said the wealth volition spell successful portion toward supporting the intelligence wellness of Israelis with PTSD and rebuilding homes destroyed successful the Hamas-led attack.

Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities adjacent Gaza's borderline connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas is inactive holding 58 captives, about a 3rd of whom are believed to beryllium live aft astir of the others were returned successful ceasefire agreements oregon different deals.

Israel's retaliatory warfare has killed much than 53,000 Palestinians and reduced overmuch of Gaza to ruins, Gaza's Health Ministry says. Most of them are civilians, including much than 16,500 children nether the property of 18, Gaza wellness officials say.

WATCH | Palestinians struggling to past amid delays successful getting aid:

Omri Kohavi, a subsister of an onslaught astatine the Nova euphony festival on Oct. 7 that killed much than 360 people and saw dozens taken hostage, attended Sunday's walk.

He was in Toronto with the Nova Exhibition, an planetary touring grounds recounting the events of that day.

He said helium came to the locomotion to enactment Israel and was blessed to spot the "partying and bully vibe."

"I'm precise proud. It makes maine strong," helium said.

Suzanne Wintrob said her cousins were surviving successful a kibbutz successful Israel connected Oct. 7. Half of their friends were killed successful the attacks, she said.

"They person survivor's guilt.... They'll ne'er beryllium the same," she said. "The full state is successful trauma."

Wintrob was among respective radical astatine the locomotion holding posters of hostages inactive successful captivity. She said she is praying for information and peace. 

"Everyone wants bid connected some sides of this conflict," she said.