‘Jewish people must be able to worship safely’: Carney, Poilievre and others condemn Belleville synagogue shooting

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Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, along with other politicians and police forces across Canada, have condemned antisemitic violence following a shooting that took place outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont., on Sunday night.

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Two people, including a police officer, were wounded in the incident that occurred as worshippers gathered for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. No one inside the synagogue was hurt, according to a social media statement by the Sons of Jacob Congregation. A police officer and suspected gunmen were injured and taken to Kingston General Hospital after exchanging gunfire outside the synagogue.

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“Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives,” Carney wrote in a statement on X. “Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. My thoughts are with the injured officer and his family, and the entire Jewish community.”

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Poilievre echoed Carney’s support for the Jewish community, but called on the government to take action. “This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and this Liberal government must act now to protect our people,” the opposition leader wrote in a statement on X.

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“Jewish Canadians must once again be able to live in their communities and pray in their places of worship without fear of being shot at or attacked.”

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Belleville Police said on social media that one of their officers “encountered an individual in the area at about 7:10 p.m.” and “the officer and the individual sustained injuries and were transported to hospital,” adding that there was no further threat to public safety.

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The province’s Special Investigations Unit said the “exchange of gunfire” involved a 29-year-old man “armed with a shotgun” who is now in life-threatening condition. The officer is listed as critical but stable.

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Other political leaders have expressed sorrow and support for the Jewish community following the shooting. Tyler Allsopp, Progressive Conservative MPP for the Bay of Quinte riding, representing Belleville, said in a statement on X that he is “heartbroken” by news of the incident.

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“My thoughts go out to all members of our Jewish community, and to the police officer who was wounded and his family,” he said. “This attack was a disgusting act and it has no place in our society. It is my sincerest hope that the individual responsible feels the full weight of justice.”

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And Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he is “disgusted” by the shooting.

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In a statement shared on X, Ford wrote: “My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear. I expect that all those responsible are arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

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He added: “My thoughts are also with the police officer who was shot, along with their family and loved ones. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe.”

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The Ontario Liberal Party released a statement in which the party’s interim leader, John Fraser, called the shooting “a horrific act of antisemitic violence.”

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“For years, we have seen a growing number of Jewish centres targeted by gunfire,” he said. “In most cases, they were empty, but these attacks have instilled fear and dread in the Jewish community. It was only a matter of time before someone was brazen enough to do something like this.”

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Ontario Liberal Party leadership candidates Lee Fairclough and Eric Lombardi also commented on the shooting.

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Fairclough called it “horrifying” and said her thoughts are with the Jewish community and the injured police officer in a post on X, while Lombardi said the incident “comes amid an alarming rise in antisemitism and threats against Jewish institutions across Canada.”

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He added: “Jewish Canadians deserve to live without fear and to gather and worship in safety and peace. We must stand unequivocally against antisemitism and ensure our Jewish communities are protected from rising hate.”

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Elsewhere, Toronto mayor Olivia Chow wrote in a statement: “My thoughts are with the Jewish community and the injured officer in Belleville,” adding, “The Jewish community will see an increased police presence as we take precautions to keep people safe.”

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She said: “Jewish Torontonians should not need police presence to observe Yom Kippur, or to simply live their day-to-day lives. As long as we contend with rising antisemitism and hate, we will spare no expense keeping the community safe.”

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Brad Bradford, a Toronto city councillor and Chow’s main contender in the upcoming mayoral race, also shared a statement on social media. “Gunfire outside a synagogue hurts a community that has already carried far too much this year, in Toronto, in Montreal, and across Canada. No community in this country should have to live like this,” he wrote.

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Bradford added: “An attack on a place of worship is an attack on all of us.”

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Meanwhile, former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called the incident “horrific” in a social media post, adding: “A reminder that the troubling rise in antisemitism leads to real risks to the Jewish community & our entire society.”

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And Senator Leo Housakos, who serves as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, said he is “horrified and beyond angry” by the shooting in a post on social media, adding: “We are failing Jewish Canadians. This violence persists and escalates because we allow it to. Governments in Canada can no longer pretend that antisemitism is anything less than an emergency.”

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Conservative MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman said she is “deeply concerned” by the incident, Liberal MP Evan Solomon called it “horrific and despicable,” and fellow Toronto MP Leslie Church said: “A police presence should never be necessary to gather for worship in Canada, yet this is a terrible daily reality for Jewish Canadians.”

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Elsewhere, Mark Baxter, president of the Police Association of Ontario, called the act of violence “deeply troubling” in a statement shared on social media.

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“I am outraged by this attack on the Jewish community and their sacred space,” he added. “Those responsible must be brought to justice and held fully accountable.”

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The Durham Regional Police also released a statement on social media in which it said its membership is “saddened by the senseless violence” that took place in Belleville. “We join all in condemning senseless acts of violence,” it said.

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Police services that have commented on the shooting include York Regional Police, which said in a message to the community that “officers will continue to be visible in the areas where people gather to worship, and we remain in close contact with community and faith partners.”

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And Winnipeg Police said it will be increasing its presence at gathering spaces and places of worship as a precaustion, adding: “Our thoughts are with the Jewish community across Canada during this time, as well as with the officer in Belleville who remains in hospital.”

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The Bay of Quinte’s pro hockey team, Belleville Senators, also shared a statement on social media, writing: “The Belleville Senators family is deeply saddened to learn about the shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Sunday evening. Our thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville, as well as the injured officer and first responders and who attended the scene.”

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Multiple synagogues in Ontario, specifically the Greater Toronto Area, have been targeted in shooting attacks in recent years as antisemitism grows in Canada. This March, three separate GTA synagogues were hit by gunfire within a five-day span — Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto in Thornhill, North York’s Temle Emanu-el and Shaarei Shomayim. York Regional Police have charged three suspects in connection with a pair of the shootings.

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The shooting comes two months after Statistics Canada data showed that Jews were targeted in 71 per cent of religious hate crimes in Canada last year. While this represented a 16 per cent decline from the previous year, it remained 50 per cent higher than in 2022.

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