More tools needed to fight hate
It’s a sad sign of the times that Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, has taken to telling interviewers that “our clergy not only need to be versed in Torah, they need to be versed in tactics.”
The tactics to which Greenblatt refers are those necessary not just to combat hate crimes, but quite possibly to engage in combat with those who are committing them.
Greenblatt made the comments in response to this month’s hostage-taking at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. And while we might prefer to think it couldn’t happen here, police and Jewish community leaders clearly think otherwise.
Concerned about a copycat attack, some community leaders have encouraged heightened vigilance, and police have increased their presence in the vicinity of some synagogues.
The concern is understandable given that the Colleyville attack occurred at a time when hate crimes have been increasing dramatically throughout North America. Data from 2021 is not yet available, but Statistics Canada says there were 2,669 police-reported hate crime incidents in 2020, up 37 per cent from the previous year. And while crimes against certain groups, notably Asian Canadians, increased exponentially during that period, Jews continue to be the most frequently targeted group.
This dramatic rise in hate crimes is particularly unfortunate given the significant steps Canadians have taken to combat hate. In 2019, the federal government unveiled an anti-racism strategy, earmarking $45 million for a variety of new initiatives.
The feds provided funding to develop national guidelines for responding to hate crimes, and invested in a public education and awareness campaign that details the historic roots and effects of racism in Canada.
Last summer’s antisemitism and Islamophobia summits also produced valuable recommendations. In particular, they emphasized the importance of improving digital literacy and countering misinformation — an essential element of any strategy given the prevalence of radicalization through the internet.
Yet despite the importance of preventing radicalization and eradicating hate crimes in the future, we must also live in the present. Consequently, members of frequently targeted organizations, including houses of worship, schools and community centres, need to be equipped with the means and the skills — the “tactics,” if you will — to protect themselves now.
The federal Security Infrastructure Program is designed to do just that as it defrays the cost of security improvements, such as surveillance cameras and alarm systems, for vulnerable groups. The program has already proven its worth; it allowed a Montreal synagogue to foil an attempted arson last year thanks to its surveillance system.
In recent years, the government has expanded the program to include money for a variety of building improvements, including renovations, doors, windows, emergency phone systems and panic buttons. It also now helps fund basic security training for staff to respond to hate crimes.
However, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has long argued that the infrastructure program fails to provide support for training at-risk community members to engage in unarmed patrols, situational awareness and threat prevention, as well as to partner with the police. The program could easily be enhanced to include those measures.
It’s certainly sad that such support is needed at all. But not nearly as sad as allowing vulnerable people to remain at risk. Working toward a hate-free tomorrow is vital, but we must first live through today.
Despite the importance of preventing radicalization and eradicating hate crimes in the future, we must also live in the present