Canada's Dark Turn
Canadian journalist: This is what happens when a society doesn't fight anti-Zionism.
You wouldn’t know this from big mainstream media, but Canada is quickly turning into a living nightmare for a tiny minority.
How did this happen? In the new episode, I’m joined by a man who sought out the answer: Jesse Brown, editor and publisher of Canadaland.
Following the October 7, 2023, massacres by Gazan terrorists in Israel, antisemitic incidents around the world skyrocketed. Canada saw a big spike, according to B’nai Brith Canada, the leading group tracking the statistics. Montreal’s explosion of open hatred led to it being called the “antisemitism capital of North America.” In Ottawa, jihadists “protested” outside a Jewish community center, nursery, and long-term care facility for seniors, the National Post reported. Among their deep thoughts was this rant in Arabic: “We want bullets and missiles and go back to Europe.”
Police-reported hate crimes with clear motivations — always a sliver of total incidents — showed Canada’s tiny Jewish population faced incomparable levels of attacks.
In 2025, incidents spiked further. B’nai Brith Canada declared it a “national crisis” and a level “unlike anything we’ve ever seen.” Already, 2026 is even worse, the “most violent year in recent memory” for Canada’s Jews. Canadian intelligence warned that there is a “realistic possibility” of a “violent extremist attack” by September.
So it’s no shock that new, vile images surfaced this week from Montreal’s so-called “pro-Palestinian protesters,” the media’s whitewashing euphemism for supporters of Islamist terrorism. At least in this case, instead of shooting, firebombing, or attempting to kidnap people, they hanged U.S. and Israeli leaders in effigy, tying nooses around their necks. (One whose face could not be seen, only his kippah, was apparently meant to represent Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.)
In our conversation, Jesse and I discuss uniquely Canadian elements that have allowed this hatred free rein. We also dig into the ways Canada’s experience should serve as a wake-up call to the world. Jesse explains:
“What Americans can see in Canada is: This is what happens when nobody is pushing back against this anti-Zionist thing. It gets bolder, it gets infused into organizations, it becomes a witch hunt against everyday people.”
Hear how:
Canadian media hides reality, even refusing to name perpetrators.
Ideology “becomes bureaucratized and trickles down in a country where it was embraced by the prime minister.”
The worse the media perform, the more government support they get.
Mass immigration without assimilation or national identity spells danger.
And lots more. Jesse’s series “What is Happening Here” digs into the many forces at play north of the U.S. border.
Have you seen or experienced things like this wherever you live? Share in comments or messages:
[1] I wish there was always a transcript to go with videos/podcasts. [2] There has definitely been a very disturbing spike in antisemitism world wide since the horror of 10.7. For specific incident coverage I read Times of Israel and Jewish Telegraph Agency. I also want to mention a positive item: The show "Boston Blue" on CBS features a black woman who very openly wears a chai necklace. The show features Shabbat dinner at the end of each episode. Soooo nice. Now, to the depressing stuff: I find myself wary of possible responses to the Israeli flag I have on my door. I find myself wary when I wear a T-shirt that has Hebrew lettering & an Israeli flag. Here in NYC there have been way too many incidents of people worrying about wearing Jewish theme necklaces. And we had many kaffiyeh displays last year at demonstrations. All in all, this is not the America I trust.