Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech on antisemitism at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto on Monday, June 1, 2026, which has drawn sharp criticism for its perceived ineffectiveness and misplaced rhetoric. The most notable line from his address, as highlighted by columnist Chris Selley, was: "When you come to Canada, you bring your faith, your tradition, your language, your story. You leave behind your wars and your animosities."
Carney's Speech Falls Flat
Selley argues that this statement is both limp and ineffectual, failing to address the root causes of rising antisemitism in Canada. He notes that the audience at the synagogue was not the source of the problem, as those engaging in antisemitic acts were unlikely to be present. The suggestion that immigrants should leave behind their old world conflicts is described as an obnoxious trope that states aspiration as fact.
The Reality of Imported Conflicts
Selley points out that two-and-a-half years prior, Hamas committed a pogrom in southern Israel, killing over 800 civilians and taking more than 250 hostages. He emphasizes that Canadian and American Jews have no control over Israeli government actions, yet they face harassment and protests. He draws a contrast between the behavior of Jewish Canadians, who do not march through Arab neighborhoods waving Israeli flags, and the actions of some pro-Palestinian supporters who target Jewish homes and businesses.
Selley concludes that Carney's speech fails to name the specific perpetrators of antisemitism and instead places an unrealistic burden on all Canadians to abandon their ethnic and religious animosities. He asserts that such a notion has never been true in any pluralistic society and that Canada's success in diversity has been achieved despite, not because of, the complete absence of old world conflicts.
