On Monday, a school bus parked in Toronto’s Jewish neighbourhood was set on fire and anti-Israel graffiti, including “Free Palestine,” was painted on a kosher grocery store and a Jewish community centre.
Toronto Police Said The school bus had been parked in the same spot behind the grocery store without incident for 15 years, until an arsonist burned it down and damaged it beyond repair on Monday. The fire was put out before it could spread to other vehicles.
police Said Authorities were investigating the incident as arson and a possible hate crime.
“Targeting Jewish people because of their Middle Eastern roots is pure anti-Semitism and only strengthens our resolve to stand up for our beliefs,” said United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto (UJA).
UJA said it had discussed with police about the bus burning, as well as anti-Israel messages painted on a community center, a Jewish grocery store and at least two other businesses.
Melissa Lanzman, Conservative MP for the Greater Toronto and Thornhill region, Said Attacks on grocery stores and other Jewish businesses “are clearly threats and nothing more.”
“We will not be intimidated by a lawless mob. This is an attack on Canadian values and these thugs must be prosecuted,” Lanzmann said.
“Any government that accepts this as the new normal must be toppled so that all Americans can feel safe in this country,” she declared, referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Toronto Fire Department Said The fire department also said it had to extinguish a small fire that broke out in a toy warehouse behind the Jewish school on Tuesday morning. Firefighters entered the Leo Baeck Day School at about 3:30 a.m. local time and ventilated the building to remove smoke from the building.
Police said they had “consulted” with their hate crime unit about the school fire but that there was “no evidence that this incident was hate-motivated.” A police spokesman told a local radio station that the fire may have been accidentally started by someone “using a shed as a shelter.”
