"The numbers you cite are based on B’nai Brith’s annual antisemitism report, which conflates antisemitic incidents with pro-Palestine advocacy. This is a yearly issue, and yet the report is treated as a reliable source. While B’nai Brith keeps the vast majority of the data private, so it cannot be independently verified, some examples they give in their brief public report indicate the numbers do not represent what most Canadians consider antisemitic acts."
June 3, 2024
To:
Tim Cook, Canadian Press
Sandra E. Martin, Globe and Mail
Dear Sandra E. Martin and Tim Cook,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern about your citing of a flawed study by B’nai Brith, a pro-Israel group in Canada. This occurred in the recent Canadian Press article published by the Globe and Mail called “Antisemitism anxiety at synagogues after week of attacks on Jewish institutions.”
Your article states that:
Numerous police forces have reported an increase in suspected hate crimes targeting Jewish people since the latest war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, and a report on antisemitism released last month by advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada documented a massive spike in 2023. Based on incidents reported to B'nai Brith, including through collaborations with police, the report found there were 5,791 documented acts of violence, harassment and vandalism aimed at Jews that year, more than twice the 2,769 incidents logged in 2022.
The numbers you cite are based on B’nai Brith’s annual antisemitism report, which conflates antisemitic incidents with pro-Palestine advocacy. This is a yearly issue, and yet the report is treated as a reliable source. While B’nai Brith keeps the vast majority of the data private, so it cannot be independently verified, some examples they give in their brief public report indicate the numbers do not represent what most Canadians consider antisemitic acts.
For example, this year, B’nai Brith featured the following image in their report as an example of the rampant antisemitism in Canada:
Figure 1 from B'nai Brith Annual report on antisemitism
Yes, according to the B’nai Brith report, a sign saying “From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free” is antisemitic. Given that this widely used slogan is considered antisemitism, you can imagine how skewed these numbers could easily become. Further, an investigative journalist at the Maple pseudonymously submitted faked “antisemitic incidents” to B’nai Brith and was told they would be included in the report.
Consider that Global News gathered data from 7 major Canadian cities about antisemitic incidents filed by police. They found 465 from these seven cities. These numbers are, in their own right, very concerning. However, it should be alarming that B’nai Brith’s numbers are more than ten times higher. Such a stark difference between official numbers and those of an advocacy organization should be a red flag for any news agency reporting this story. B’nai Brith’s numbers should not be cited without appropriate qualification.
Figure 2 From Global News investigation into the rise in antisemitism
To be clear, B’nai Brith is a pro-Israel advocacy group that has made promoting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism one of its core advocacy issues. The definition has been widely criticized for its conflation of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, with detractors warning it may cause a freeze on speech critical of Israel. Continuing to cite this report without qualification or context around its controversy promotes a dangerous precedent that threatens free speech in Canada as it relates to Israel. It also only serves to create more distrust around the very serious and real issue of antisemitism by relying on a source that demonstrably distorts the real issue of antisemitism in Canada.
I am urging the Canadian Press and Globe and Mail to either avoid citing B’nai Brith’s highly problematic annual report on antisemitism or give readers enough context to understand the significant controversy surrounding it. You might also consider citing Global News's aforementioned more trustworthy figures.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East