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Montreal-area synagogue firebombed for the second time since October 2023

Congregation Beth Tikvah, in the West Island municipality of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, was hit by a firebomb early on Dec. 18, marking the second time this has happened since October 2023.

Police arrived on the scene around 3 a.m., responding to 911 calls, and found the remains of an incendiary device after putting out the fire outdoors with a fire extinguisher.

Arson investigators are at the site, which is also home to a Jewish day school and is nearby satellite offices of Federation CJA, also struck with minor damage.

There was no significant damage to the building apart from a broken door and window and smoke damage, according to Montreal police, who are examining local surveillance cameras. There are no suspects and no arrest have been made.

The synagogue and centre were also targeted by firebombs on Nov. 7, 2023, during the initial wave of antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel. Back then, when the adjacent community centre was also attacked, Mayor Valérie Plante famously condemned the “violent attack on a mosque” before her statement was corrected. Her office blamed a young, unexperienced staffer who posted on behalf of the mayor.

A swift reaction to a familiar crime

Beth Tikvah Cantor Henry Topas, who is also B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, said in a statement, “It’s a terrifying reminder that Montreal is increasingly unsafe for Jewish people.” He called it the result of the failure of leaders at all levels to hold accountable “those responsible for the hate and violence that is infesting Canadian society. Specifically, Mayor Valerie Plante must act now to stop the exponential rise in hate and antisemitism which she has permitted to get out of control in Montreal.”

The attack, the B’nai Brith statement adds, is just the latest in a series of incidents targeting Jewish institutions across the country, “including an attempted arson in Vancouver.” In May, a fire was intentionally set on the steps of Congregation Schara Tzedeck in Vancouver while worshippers were inside.

On Wednesday morning, the Jewish Community Council of Montreal expressed grave concern and outrage. “This second attack on the same location is deeply disturbing and a stark reminder of the persistence of antisemitic hatred,” said executive director Rabbi Saul Emanuel. “This is not an isolated incident—it is a repeated assault on a cornerstone of our community that serves as a hub for education, faith, and social services. Such acts of violence cannot be ignored or minimized.” Emphasizing the need for enhanced security measures at Jewish institutions to ensure the community’s safety, Rabbi Emanuel said, “These repeated attacks are meant to instill fear, but our community remains resolute. We will not be intimidated.”

West Island resident Lissa Albert woke up to the news, telling The CJN, “We’ve seen this happen before,” enumerating the attacks over the last year. In April 2023, Israeli flags outside the Hebrew Foundation School were set on fire, the perpetrators filming themselves and posting it on social media.

She walked up to the synagogue on the morning she heard the news. “It felt like going to visit a shivah, to be with family. Yes, I’m sad. Yes, it’s emotional. But I’m also angry and determined. These attacks always include the school or community centre, so it’s coordinated, and they know exactly what they’re hitting—they’re trying to terrorize us because they want us to cower in fear. But they will fail, because all they’re doing is strengthening our resolve.”

Mount-Royal MP Anthony Housefather grew up in that neighbourhood and had his bar mitzvah at Beth Tikvah. “This is the second time that someone has attempted to firebomb it,” he told The CJN. “I expect the police to make every effort to quickly arrest anyone responsible and for all leaders to denounce this deplorable attack.”

Quebec Security Minister François Bonnardel posted on social media, “Once again, completely unacceptable actions have been taken against the Jewish community in Montreal as buildings were set on fire yesterday.”

Israel’s Consul-General Paul Hirschson posted that he was “saddened to wake in the early hours to learn antisemitism continues unabated in Montréal. Encouraged by Premier Legault’s and others’ condemnation. Montreal Jewry, 100,000 strong, is proud of its contribution to building this city.”

Just a year ago, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stood at the site of Wednesday’s attack to light a menorah in solidarity with Montreal’s Jewish community. On Wednesday morning, Senator Leo Housakos posted, “Political leaders who have turned their backs on Jewish Canadians fail not just a community but the values they claim to uphold. Empty words won’t protect against antisemitism—action will. It’s time to stand up, or step aside.”

Albert agreed and said, “Do I hold Justin Trudeau partly responsible? Well yes, I do. There’s very little control or action other than the symbolic naming of emissaries and advisors on antisemitism, two of them who can’t get the job done.”

Federation CJA put out a statement late Wednesday morning saying the community “is again outraged and demanding justice and swift action after yet other cowardly acts of intimidation” noting there is damage to the exterior and interior of the buildings, but protective measures implemented by Federation CJA’s Community Security Network have ensured the damage was minimal.

“This is another cowardly act in the middle of the night to intimidate and harass the Jewish community,” said president and CEO Yair Szlak. “In the last 14 months, this is the SEVENTH instance where a Jewish institution has been targeted in Montreal and the SECOND time these institutions are targeted.

“Let’s not mince words: this is a stark reminder of what happens when politicians fail to call out antisemitism and prevent the escalation of violence on our streets. We call on Mayor Plante to act immediately to crack down on the unacceptable rise in antisemitism in Montreal. Our community is outraged and so should all Quebec citizens. We expect the authorities to treat this incident with the highest level of care and consider all likely motives. Enough is enough.”

Dollard-des-Ormeaux mayor Alex Bottausci did just that early Wednesday, stating “this cowardly act of antisemitism will not be tolerated. The safety of our residents is our top priority and any threat to stability and peace will be dealt with immediately.”

He acknowledged it is a mayor’s duty to ensure security of all residents, pledging to “all the members of the Jewish community feeling threatened by this heinous act, I want to assure you that an investigation is currently underway and that our city is invested in the safety of our community and is working closely with the SPVM and our municipal patrol to ensure your security.”

Federation’s Community Security Network is on site and coordinating with the SPVM, who will increase their presence and visibility around Jewish institutions in the coming days. Federation CJA says there is no indication of a specific threat to the community at this time.

Rabbi emeritus Mordecai Zeitz in front of Congregation Beth Tikvah, damaged by a firebomb, Dec. 18, 2024.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on social media: “I strongly condemn the antisemitic attack on Montréal’s Beit Tikvah synagogue. This surge in antisemitism must not be tolerated! This is the second(!) act of arson on Beit Tikvah – the first synagogue attacked after October 7th. I call on the Canadian authorities to take the strongest possible stance against antisemitism!”

Others took issue with the lack of any comment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or Pierrefonds-Dollard MP Sameer Zuberi by press time, some eight hours after the attack.

Zuberi did send a tweet at 12:05 p.m.: “Places of worship are sanctuaries. Yet, for the second time, a synagogue in Dollard has been targeted by arson. Antisemitism has no place in our community. Police must act to bring those responsible to justice. None should live in fear because of their faith.”

Past-president of the synagogue Jamie Goren laid part of the blame at the feet of his MP who was involved in the anti-Israel movement at Concordia University in the past, including the 2002 riot that blocked then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking at Concordia. Zuberi has been “just sitting on his hands and ignoring his own constituents’ sense of insecurity and fear. It’s the result of a slow and steady erosion of Canadian values.”

Another resident who lives walking distance from the local Jewish community campus told The CJN, “Life in the West Island is becoming more complicated. There is no other motive than to terrorize and make Jews uncomfortable. Kids go to school there. Where is the local MP?”

The post Montreal-area synagogue firebombed for the second time since October 2023 appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.

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The BBC Documentary That Paints Every Israeli as an Extremist

The Jewish community of Beit El in Judea and Samaria. Photo: Yaakov via Wikimedia Commons.

Louis Theroux first visited the West Bank in 2011 to film a documentary titled Louis and the Ultra-Zionists, part of his long-running series for the BBC. Back then, he at least seemed to possess a trace of journalistic curiosity. Even the title signaled a degree of editorial caution — framing his subjects as a small, ideological fringe rather than representative of Israeli society as a whole.

At the time, Theroux made an effort to clarify that he was profiling a narrow segment of Israelis. He showed legally purchased Jewish homes (sold by Arab landowners, no less) and acknowledged the regular — and at times deadly — terror attacks faced by Israeli civilians living in the area, often requiring military protection. There was condescension, certainly. But there was also context.

Fast-forward to 2024, and the curiosity is gone — though the bemused, slightly smug expression remains. His new BBC documentary, Louis and the Settlers, drops even the soft qualifiers. No “ultra.” No nuance. Just “settlers.” And with that, Theroux makes it clear: half a million Israelis living in the West Bank are one and the same — extremists who, we’re told, want every last Palestinian removed from the land.

This time, the documentary doesn’t begin with questions. It begins with conclusions. And Theroux uses a brief, unrepresentative snapshot of life in the West Bank to draw sweeping indictments of the entire Israeli state.

The message is unmistakable: Israel is the problem. Settlers are the villains. And Palestinians are passive, blameless victims of a colonial project.

Within the opening minutes, Theroux plants his ideological flag. He refers to the West Bank as “Palestinian territory” and describes every Israeli community within it as illegal under international law — a sharp departure from his more qualified approach 14 years earlier.

And while his personal views seep in throughout the film, they become crystal clear during one exchange at a checkpoint, where an Israeli soldier casually refers to their location as “Israel.” Theroux shoots back: “We’re not in Israel, are we?”

And just like that, the BBC and Louis Theroux have redrawn Israel’s borders. No Knesset debate needed.

Erasing History to Blame the Massacre

The timing of this return trip is no accident. The film comes in the shadow of the October 7 Hamas massacres — the day 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered, families were burned alive in their homes, and children were dragged into Gaza. And yet, Theroux barely mentions it.

The few passing references to October 7 serve not to inform the audience — but to imply that Israel may be exploiting its own dead to justify further expansion. It’s not an investigation. It’s an accusation. And it allows him to skip over thousands of years of Jewish history in order to frame the current war in Gaza as a convenient cover story for Israeli “aggression.”

Take Hebron, for example. Theroux tells viewers that “in 1968, the year after [the West Bank] was occupied by Israel, a community of Jewish settlers moved in illegally. They now number some 700.” He fails to mention that in 1895 — decades before the modern state of Israel existed — Hebron had a Jewish population of 1,429.

Jews have lived in Hebron since antiquity — it’s where, according to Jewish tradition, Abraham purchased the Cave of the Patriarchs. Modern records date the community back centuries, despite discrimination under Ottoman rule and bans on Jewish prayer at holy sites. In 1929, Arab rioters carried out a massacre, wiping out Hebron’s Jewish population. Dozens were murdered; the rest were expelled. Under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967, Jews were banned from the city entirely. When they returned after the Six-Day War — not as colonists, but as a displaced community coming home — Theroux picks up the story there and calls it “illegal.”

On the Six-Day War itself, Theroux offers no context. No mention of the Arab armies preparing to destroy Israel. No mention of Israel’s preemptive strike against an existential threat.

According to The Settlers, Israel simply “occupied” — full stop.

Palestinian Terrorism? Not Even a Footnote.

Theroux visits Evyatar, a small Jewish community near the Palestinian town of Beita, and uses it as a stand-in for the entire West Bank. Beita is depicted as a symbol of peaceful resistance: a proud, ancient Palestinian village standing firm against violent settlers backed by IDF soldiers.

It’s a neat story. Too neat. Because missing from the story are years of organized, violent riots from Beita — complete with Molotov cocktails, burning Stars of David, and Nazi swastikas. All carefully omitted to preserve the narrative: Palestinians peaceful, settlers aggressive. Facts that don’t fit? Left on the cutting room floor.

Meanwhile, Israeli nationalism is treated as something sinister and unsettling — a moral aberration to be examined. The notion that Jews might want sovereignty or security is met with thinly veiled suspicion. Yet Hamas’ goal of a Jew-free Palestine, explicitly laid out in its charter, is never mentioned. Nor is the Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” policy, which literally incentivizes terrorism by rewarding those who murder Israelis — including women and children.

These aren’t fringe details. They’re central to understanding the region. And Theroux knows it. He just doesn’t care.

The BBC’s Complicity

That The Settlers aired on the BBC — a publicly funded broadcaster once seen as a gold standard of global journalism — says plenty. Not just about Louis Theroux’s agenda, but about the institutional direction of the BBC itself. This wasn’t a rogue filmmaker sneaking bias past the editors. This was bias built into the foundation — signed off, packaged, and broadcast under the banner of credibility.

There is, of course, no problem with scrutinizing Israeli policy, and no issue with questioning the settlement enterprise or highlighting the tensions in the West Bank. But journalism — real journalism — demands context. It demands precision. It demands at least a passing familiarity with the full scope of the story.

Theroux offers none of that. He arrives with a predetermined script and casts his roles accordingly: Hero. Villain. Victim. Oppressor. And when reality refuses to cooperate? It’s left out.

Louis Theroux didn’t return to Israel to understand it. He returned to flatten it. To reduce its complexity to a morality play — and to ensure everyone knows the antagonist is.

The Settlers isn’t a documentary. It’s a hit piece. And the BBC handed him the camera — then applauded the performance.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post The BBC Documentary That Paints Every Israeli as an Extremist first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Indian Army Kills Islamist Terrorist Linked to 2002 Murder of Jewish-American Journalist Daniel Pearl

Jewish-American Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by Islamist terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. Photo: Screenshot

The Indian government announced on Thursday that its military forces had killed “Pakistan’s most wanted terrorist,” who was connected to the 2002 murder of Jewish-American Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl.

On Wednesday, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims is targeted at dismantling “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The operation came after Pakistani terrorists killed 26 Hindu tourists in Kashmir last month amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

In a post on X, the BJP confirmed that during this week’s operation, the Indian army killed Islamist terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar, who was involved in numerous terrorism plots, including the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, the 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament, and the 2016 Pathankot Air Force base attack.

Azhar’s involvement in the 1999 hijacking led to the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-born al-Qaeda member with close ties to Pakistan’s intelligence services, who later was involved in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of 38-year-old Pearl, who was covering the war on terror as a journalist when he was abducted.

In a statement on X, Pearl’s father, Judea, addressed initial reports regarding Azhar’s death and his connection to his son’s murder.

“I want to clarify: Azhar was a Pakistani extremist and leader of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed. While his group was not directly involved in the plot to abduct Danny, it was indirectly responsible. Azhar orchestrated the hijacking that led to the release of Omar Sheikh — the man who lured Danny into captivity,” he said.

In 2002, the Jewish-American journalist was abducted and killed by a group of Islamist terrorists connected to Azhar’s militant network, which had ties to al-Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terror group aiming to separate Kashmir from India and incorporate it into Pakistan.

On Jan. 27, 2002, an email was sent to several Pakistani and US media organizations, which included several photos, stating that Pearl was being held in “inhumane” conditions to protest the US treatment of Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners in Cuba. Photo: Screenshot

Originally stationed in New Delhi as the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, Pearl later moved to Pakistan to investigate terrorism following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.

After kidnapping Pearl at a restaurant in Karachi, southern Pakistan, the Islamist terrorists, who identified themselves as the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, accused him of being an Israeli spy and sent the United States a list of demands for his release.

However, Washington did not meet their demands, and Pearl was ultimately executed after being held captive for five weeks.

His wife, Mariane Pearl, gave birth to a baby boy, Adam D. Pearl, in Paris later that year. On the Daniel Pearl Foundation website, she said, “Adam’s birth rekindles the joy, love, and humanity that Danny radiated wherever he went.”

The post Indian Army Kills Islamist Terrorist Linked to 2002 Murder of Jewish-American Journalist Daniel Pearl first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Jewish Jewelry Shop Owners Brutally Assaulted in Tunisia Days Before Annual Pilgrimage

A Jewish jewelry shop owner in Djerba, Tunisia, was brutally attacked by a man wielding a machete. Photo: Screenshot

A Jewish jewelry shop owner in Djerba, Tunisia, was brutally attacked by a man wielding a machete just days before the Tunisian island was set to host its annual Jewish pilgrimage, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors.

On Wednesday morning, two Jewish men — owners of a jewelry shop in the center of the island, located off Tunisia’s southeast coast — were physically assaulted by a man carrying a large knife.

Although the attack was halted when one of them screamed — alerting members of the local Jewish community who subdued the assailant — one of them was left severely injured.

According to local media reports, the attacker had surveyed the island the day before, visiting several stores to identify those owned by Jews. Local police arrested him shortly following the assault.

After the attack, one of the owners was admitted to the hospital with severe injuries. The 50-year-old Jewish man had his fingers severed during the assault and underwent surgery to reattach them.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the attack and expressed his wishes for a swift recovery to the victims.

“This attack comes two years after the previous deadly assault that claimed Jewish lives and the lives of security personnel during the Lag BaOmer celebration,” the top Israeli diplomat wrote in a post on X.

“I call on the Tunisian authorities to take all necessary measures to protect the Jewish community,” Saar continued.

Djerba is home to the majority of Tunisia’s Jewish community, numbering about 2,000 people, and is also where the renowned El Ghriba Synagogue, one of North Africa’s oldest synagogues, is located.

The attack comes just a week before Jewish pilgrims are expected to arrive on the island for the Lag B’Omer holiday, when thousands gather annually for three days of festivities. The annual pilgrimage to El Ghriba Synagogue, scheduled for May 15 and 16 this year, draws visitors from around the world.

The synagogue has been targeted in multiple terrorist attacks over the years, including in 1985, 2002, and 2023.

Two years ago, a shooting at the synagogue claimed the lives of two Jewish cousins and three police officers. Aviel Hadad, a 30-year-old Israeli goldsmith, and Ben Hadad, a 42-year-old Frenchman who had traveled to join the festivities, were among the victims.

The post Jewish Jewelry Shop Owners Brutally Assaulted in Tunisia Days Before Annual Pilgrimage first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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