The slogan "globalize the intifada," championed by some anti-Israel activists in Canada and abroad, constitutes a direct call for violence against Jewish people and represents a tangible threat to Canadian security, according to a National Post editorial view. Framing this rhetoric as merely political dissent is a dangerous and willful ignorance of its violent origins and implications.
The Violent Reality Behind the Slogan
While the Arabic word "intifada" translates to "uprising," its contemporary usage is inextricably linked to the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2004. During that period, Palestinian terrorists killed 1,053 Israelis, with approximately 70% of the victims being civilians. The campaign was characterized by 130 suicide bombings targeting buses, markets, and other public spaces with the explicit purpose of massacring civilians.
Claims that "globalize the intifada" refers to peaceful resistance are dismissed as either profoundly naive or deliberately disingenuous. The threat has moved from abstract to concrete, with activists on social media recently targeting Canadian media outlets, including The Globe and Mail, CanadaLand, and the National Post, with calls to bring the intifada to their doorsteps.
A Pattern of Terror Inspired by Ideological Hate
The same ideological hatred that fueled recent terror attacks against Jews globally has manifested within Canada. The editorial points to several alarming incidents:
- On December 22, 2025, it was reported that three men were arrested in Toronto for targeting women and Jewish community members, with one facing terrorism charges linked to ISIS.
- Last summer, a father and son were arrested in Toronto for planning a terrorist attack, also inspired by ISIS.
- In 2024, a man in Canada on a student visa was arrested in Quebec while en route to New York to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish centre, timed for the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel.
These plots are not emerging in a vacuum of societal condemnation. Following the October 7 atrocities, protests erupted in Canada celebrating the murder, rape, and kidnapping of Israelis, falsely branding the terrorist assault as "Palestinian resistance." This movement has since grown bolder.
Escalating Intimidation and a Tepid Response
Antisemitic hate incidents have exploded across Canada since October 2023. Protesters have marched through Jewish neighbourhoods, harassing residents as "baby killers." They have targeted synagogues, Jewish hospitals, schools, and businesses for intimidation. The disruption has extended to Christmas markets and public roadways.
Critically, law enforcement response has often been perceived as inadequate. Despite laws against blocking infrastructure, intimidation, and harassment, police frequently stand by during these marches. There have been instances of police threatening to arrest journalists documenting the protests or Jews engaging in counter-protests, rather than containing the source of the hateful demonstrations.
The editorial concludes that to treat the call to "globalize the intifada" as anything other than a serious threat is to recklessly endanger Canadian lives. It argues that the left, in particular, must acknowledge the lethal meaning of this rhetoric and the violent movement it represents, which has already shown its face through multiple foiled terror plots on Canadian soil.
