The number of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, has spiked significantly since the start of the Gaza crisis on October 7, authorities said.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said 78 hate crimes had been reported between October 7 and November 20, compared to 37 in the same time frame in 2022. The real number was undoubtedly higher since some people were hesitant to come forward, he added.
The number of reported anti-Semitic hate crimes in this period almost trebled to 38 from 13 last year, while those involving the Muslim, Palestinian and Arab population leapt to 17 from just one in 2022, Reuters reports.
