Belleville Survivors Take Their Message to Parliament Hill

Yesterday, I was in Ottawa with survivors of the Yom Kippur shooting attack at Belleville's Sons of Jacob Synagogue. They came to Parliament Hill to share their firsthand experiences and urge the federal government to take action to prevent another attack.

Douglas Lobel and Shima Vigodda spoke about the terror of a gunman opening fire outside their synagogue, the fear their families experienced, and how close their small community came to a mass-casualty tragedy.

Their testimony was deeply moving. But what has stayed with me is something I witnessed when I visited Belleville after the attack. There I met with families whose homes are metres from the synagogue, neighbours who walk their dogs along Victoria Avenue, and parents whose children play just around the corner.

For the people of Belleville, as local MP Chris Mallette pointed out, those shots were fired at their neighbourhood.

Were it not for the bravery of Constables Jeff Smith and Michael McCurdy, the consequences could have been far more devastating. As the survivors reminded us yesterday, the next community may not be so fortunate.

Last week, Canada's new National Security Strategy opened with a stark warning: “Threats once thought distant are now immediate and proximate.” What happened in Belleville demonstrates just how close these threats have come.

In exclusive reporting by The Globe and Mail, security officials warned radicalization that once took months and years can now happen in less than a month.

Belleville must be Canada's final wake-up call. Governments must do more to protect communities and confront the radicalization that leads to violence.

With the federal budget being tabled this Thursday, we are calling on the government to turn its national security commitments into concrete action: renew and strengthen Canada's National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence.

This program is critical to identifying and engaging individuals vulnerable to radicalization before they turn to violence. As experts note, hatred of Jews and antisemitic conspiracy theories are a “baseline of entry into extremism” and must be directly confronted as part of any effective effort to prevent radicalization.

This is not only about protecting Jewish Canadians. It is about protecting the police officers placed in harm's way, the families and neighbourhoods caught in the crossfire, and the fundamental rights and freedoms of every Canadian.

I also want to thank you and thousands of other community members who have made their voices heard through CIJA's ActionHub to call on the federal government to take stronger action against terrorism and violent extremism.

There is still much work ahead, but our collective voices are having an impact.

I encourage you to hear directly from the survivors and the local Member of Parliament who joined us in Ottawa, and to share their powerful message with others.

Noah Shack
CEO, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the advocacy agent of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, represents vibrant Jewish communities across the country that contribute immensely to Canadian society, advocating for a brighter future for Jewish communities and all Canadians.

Le CIJA, le Centre consultatif des relations juives et israéliennes, est l'organisme de défense des intérêts des Fédérations juives du Canada-UIA et représente ainsi les communautés juives organisées de tout le pays, lesquelles contribuent au tissu social canadien en favorisant un avenir meilleur pour tous.

Subscribe for updates from CIJA