In August 2026, the Canadian government, in collaboration with the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, released a report on Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences (CASE). This came in response to a dramatic rise in antisemitic attacks against Jewish Canadians, with said incidents making up 68 per cent of religious hate crimes and 18 per cent of hate crimes overall in 2024. The authors, Dr. Jack Jedwab and Dr. Paul Holley, found that 84 per cent of Jewish respondents said that antisemitism was a severe problem on campus, 95 per cent experienced or witnessed at least one incident in the past year, 72 per cent feel uncomfortable expressing their Jewish identity in class, and 57 per cent avoid wearing Jewish symbols due to safety concerns. The report also explained that these incidents are not just single occurrences, but indicate a systemic issue of antisemitism on campuses, with even faculty perpetrating the abuses.
In an interview with The Cascade, Dr. Eric Spalding, an associate professor with UFV’s theSchool of Culture, Media and Society, offered his opinion on this rise of antisemitism on Canadian campuses, pointing to the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 as a key reason.
“Oct. 7, 2023… it’s the war in Gaza that is allowing some people, instructors and students, according to the report that I looked at, to engage in comments and behaviour that are disparaging towards Jewish students.”
Throughout the CASE report, direct quotes from students who experienced firsthand or witnessed antisemitism are included — it’s difficult and incredibly frustrating that these students, who should feel safe on campus, experienced these awful things. One quote reads:
“My friend was walking through [REDACTED] Hall. He also wears a kippah, and a group of students shouted, ‘there’s a Jew…let’s get him.’ They then chased him out of the building.”
Dr. Spalding pointed out that holding Jewish students on campus as directly responsible for the Israeli government’s actions is nonsensical.
“And the part of this, of course, that to most people doesn’t make any sense is that Jewish students on Canadian campuses are no more responsible for Netanyahu‘s actions than you are or than I am. So to disparage them just because of the right-wing coalition in Israel and what they’re doing, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Jewish students deserve to feel safe on campus, the significant rise in antisemitic attacks that the report points to is completely appalling. The key lesson I believe we need to get through our heads as Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian continues, should be to not blame or attack Jewish folk — there is absolutely no justification for that. Instead, that focus should be on how we can prevent further genocide, deliberate targeting, stereotyping of groups, offensive language and graffiti, including those targeting Jewish students. I am critical of the state of Israel since genocide is being committed, however, this in no way means that I will go and insult or attack somebody on my campus who is not a perpetrator of those crimes.
Dr. Spalding also expressed solidarity with Muslim students, explaining that Palestinian students will likely also be experiencing an increase in abuse.
“Palestinians and other people from the Middle East, I’m sure, on a daily basis have to contend with oppression or disparaging comments or mistreatment. So the whole conflict in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank combined, it’s having ramifications on a global scale and impacting people on an individual level who don’t deserve to be mistreated, whether their religion is Islam or Judaism.”
And in my own research on the subject I found that while the CASE report on Jewish students experiences with anti-semitism was extensive, up to date and well researched, reports the Government of Canada had on what Palestinian and Muslim students may be experiencing were very outdated and very limited. A House of Commons committee report on the rise of Islamophobia in Canada was released in 2024, and it was heard from the National Council of Canadian Muslims that Isalmophobic reports had increased 1,300 per cent in the final quarter of 2023. The numbers have made it clear: intolerance is on the rise in Canada.
If you or anyone you know has experienced antisemitism, islamophobia, or any kind of hate crime please contact the Racist Incident Helpline, they can be reached at 1-833-457-5463. UFV can also be alerted to a hate crime incident through their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Human Rights office.
