Ottawa Jewish leaders decry 'brazen act of desecration' at National Holocaust Monument
Crews are in the process of removing the graffiti.
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The incident is one of the latest to underscore growing antisemitism in Canada and Western nations in general, as hostilities between Israel and Hamas have escalated since the terrorist organization's attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
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'As a son of a Holocaust survivor, I never expected that my daughter would be living in a world where antisemitism is at the level that it is at,' Greenspon said.
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Silver said the growth 'underscores the urgent need for education, vigilance, and action,' not just remembrance.
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The hate and bias crime unit is handling the investigation, according to OPS, which said in a statement it 'treats incidents of this nature seriously and recognizes the profound impact they have on the community.'
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Greenspon said that while he appreciates OPS's quick response and celebrates prosecutions for crimes like these, it will take more than the usual condemnation from political leaders if they truly hope to address the root cause of antisemitism.
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Canada, he said, needs 'to stop blaming, along with England and France, Israel for a situation that it did not create.'
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'They need to stop blaming Israel for the food and water and medical aid that is much needed but is not getting through to the Gazans because of Hamas, and that's been the case for years.'
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Greenspon also said Canada and other nations should no longer contribute money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East because he alleged those funds are being appropriated by Hamas to support their terrorism.
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Last year, the outreach agency fired nine employees with suspected ties to Hamas and the Oct. 7 attack. Israel had sent UNWRA a list of 108 employees it deemed to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, demanding that they immediately be fired.
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In a post to X earlier Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'we can't look away' from the rising antisemitism in Canada after visiting the Nova Music Festival Exhibition in Toronto, a travelling display dedicated to the victims of Oct 7.
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The Nova Music Festival Exhibition tells the story of the brutal massacre carried out by the terrorist entity Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Young Israeli revellers came together that day to dance and celebrate, and were targeted by inconceivable violence.
I came to witness… pic.twitter.com/g0jZL57gfN
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) June 9, 2025
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Winnipeg Free Press
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