Poll Finds Nearly One-Third of Canadians Say Antisemitism Is Becoming More Acceptable

Nearly one-third of Canadians believe antisemitism or anti-Jewish attitudes have become more acceptable in Canada, according to a new Leger survey conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies.

The survey found that 31% of respondents agreed with the statement. Agreement was highest among university students, at 37%, men, at 38%, and Canadians ages 18 to 34, at 35%. English speakers were more than twice as likely as Francophones to agree, 35% compared with 16%.

The findings point to a wider concern inside Canada’s Jewish community: that anger over Israel’s war in Gaza is spilling into attitudes toward Jews in Canada. Slightly more than one-fifth of Canadians, 22%, agreed that Israel’s military actions in Gaza justify negative attitudes toward Jewish people in Canada, while 49% disagreed.

“The findings suggest that condemnation alone has not been enough. While many leaders have denounced antisemitism since October 7, the survey shows that a significant minority of Canadians still believe that events in the Middle East justify negative attitudes toward Jewish Canadians,” Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, told the National Post.

The poll also found that 17% of Canadians said they had become more negative toward Jews since the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. A majority, 62%, disagreed. Respondents born outside Canada were more likely to agree, at 24%, compared with 16% of those born in the country.

A smaller but still significant group connected Canadian Jews directly to Israel’s government. Nine percent of all respondents agreed that “Jews in Canada are responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.” Among respondents born outside Canada, that figure rose to 15%, compared with 8% among those born in Canada.

Jedwab said the numbers show that public education must address not only openly antisemitic views, but also confusion over when criticism of Israel becomes rhetoric targeting Jews.

“It suggests that public education should not only focus on people who hold openly antisemitic views, but also on the much larger group that may not recognize when criticism about Israel becomes rhetoric that targets Jews and that presents a threat to Jewish Canadians’ sense of safety and belonging,” he said.

The survey also tested Canadian attitudes toward calls for Israel’s elimination. It found that 39% of respondents agreed that calls for Israel to cease to exist are antisemitic, while 28% disagreed. Younger Canadians were less likely to identify such calls as antisemitic, with 34% of those ages 18 to 34 agreeing, compared with 47% of Canadians over 55.

The poll found that 39% of Canadians said Prime Minister Mark Carney should publicly condemn calls for Israel to cease to exist as a state. Just under one-quarter, 24%, disagreed.

The survey comes after Carney recently warned that antisemitism in Canada had reached levels not seen in the post-war period. Speaking at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, he said Canada was failing Jewish Canadians and announced a new federal advisory council on antisemitism.

“The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe, and it demands a targeted response,” Carney said.

Government data has also shown a sharp concentration of religious hate crimes against Jews. Statistics Canada reported that police recorded 1,342 religion-motivated hate crimes in 2024, with 70% targeting Jewish people, even though Jews make up about 1% of Canada’s population.

B’nai Brith Canada reported 6,800 antisemitic incidents in 2025 and said 2026 was already on track to become one of the most violent years in recent memory for Canadian Jews, with 11 violent incidents recorded since January 1, surpassing the 10 violent incidents recorded in all of 2025.