For those who study history, the coverage of the tragic shooting of Jewish Australians on Sydney's Bondi Beach this past weekend served as a chilling echo of the early days of Nazi Germany before the Second World War. The event has prompted a pressing question for many, including former Ontario finance minister Janet Ecker: What can a non-Jew do to stop the hate?
The Call to Action for Non-Jewish Canadians
In a powerful commentary, Ecker argues that the responsibility to combat antisemitism extends far beyond the Jewish community and its political representatives. She contends that police, politicians, and perhaps most importantly, non-Jewish citizens must do more to halt the alarming growth of Jew-hatred within Canada. The underlying message is stark: if current trends continue, similar violence could manifest on Canadian soil.
While many commentators have rightly identified the surge in antisemitism as pure evil and have demanded that politicians "do something," Ecker turns the focus inward. She asks what ordinary individuals can and should do in their daily lives to confront this malignancy.
A Personal Failure on the Toronto Subway
Ecker recounts a personal incident from several months ago that continues to weigh on her conscience. While riding the Toronto subway with a Jewish colleague, they overheard two other passengers loudly voicing antisemitic remarks. Her colleague moved away and remained silent, and Ecker followed suit, choosing not to engage.
She now looks back on that moment with shame. While acknowledging the potential risks of confrontation—especially on public transit—and the easier, safer path of ignoring such comments, Ecker recognizes a profound failure. The collective silence of a dozen passengers that day served to embolden the speakers, allowing hateful sentiments to be expressed openly and without fear of reproach, thereby normalizing them in a public space.
From Hateful Words to Violent Acts
Ecker warns that it is not a large leap from hateful rhetoric on a subway to the horrific violence witnessed in Australia, where two individuals targeted innocent Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah on a beach. In Canada, she notes, antisemitism is undeniably on the rise, often fueled and funded by foreign actors.
This hatred is encouraged by demonstrations that march through Jewish neighbourhoods and enabled, in her view, by authorities who prioritize "keeping the peace" over enforcing laws to protect targeted citizens. The pattern of intimidation is clear: from drive-by shootings at synagogues and daycare centers designed to terrorize, to the harassment of customers at Jewish-owned businesses, and even incidents of Jewish passengers being ejected from Uber vehicles.
Ecker concludes with a sobering reminder: We have let evil within our gates. The imperative for everyone—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—is to find a way to deal with it decisively before it is too late. The common security adage, "see something, say something," she argues, must become a personal mandate for civic courage in the face of rising hate.
