Montreal police arrested a 28-year-old Muslim man for making violent antisemitic threats against an Orthodox Jew, amid rising concerns over hate crimes in the Jewish community.
Montreal police arrested a 28-year-old Muslim man on Friday evening after he was filmed making violent antisemitic threats against an Orthodox Jew in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood, just before the start of Shabbat.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, shows the suspect, dressed in traditional Muslim attire and wearing a keffiyeh, shouting, “We will kill you,” at the Jewish passerby.
According to police, officers quickly located and detained the suspect. He remains in custody and is expected to appear in court. The Montreal police hate crimes unit is leading the investigation, and the case has been referred to Quebec’s attorney general for possible charges.
The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitic violence in Montreal. In recent weeks, an Orthodox Jewish father was assaulted in a public park in front of his children, with the attackers throwing his kippah into a fountain. That assault sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for stronger protections for the city’s Jewish community.
Local officials promised increased patrols and tighter security in Jewish neighborhoods. “We will not tolerate intimidation or hatred,” said San-Laurent Mayor Alan DeSousa, who announced he will meet with Jewish leaders in the coming days.
Montreal police said in a statement that they are determined to “shed full light on the circumstances of this criminal act” and ensure accountability.
The arrest underscores growing concern among Canadian Jewish communities over a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since the start of the war in Gaza last October.
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