Violent extremists are using antisemitism to recruit in Canada: CSIS report

Ideologically motivated violent extremist groups are using antisemitism in a bid to recruit followers and inspire violence, according to a report from Canada's spy agency. 

The report dated May 2024, released under the access to information law by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said the extremist groups are also tapping into current events, such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, to build support.

"Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremists routinely weave antisemitic commentary into their narratives in order to inspire violence and recruit individuals," says the report. "These new adherents, in turn, use antisemitic commentary, often tailored to current events, in order to disseminate violent messaging."

"Thus, antisemitic beliefs, with violent undertones, are disseminated jointly to an ever-expanding circle of recipients."

The report, obtained by the University of Ottawa's Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic and shared with CBC News, says much of that antisemitic content is circulated via social media.

"Social media is the main pathway for the consumption of antisemitic and violent extremist content, be it via popular rhetoric available from mainstream providers, or via influencers who actively convey antisemitic content or conspiracy theories," says the report. "The narratives encourage hate crimes, violence and terrorism."

The report says the continual increase in incidents targeting the Jewish community will normalize antisemitism in mainstream Canadian society and will likely be exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East.

It also says pro-Palestinian protests and university encampments "are unlikely to lead to or be staging grounds for violent extremist acts."

The agency places a number of different groups into the category of Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremist (IMVE) including far-right extremists, anti-authority groups, anarchists, xenophobic violence and violence related to gender such as incels and anti-2SLGBTQ+ groups. Religiously Motivated Violent Extremist (RMVE) groups such as those that support Al-Qaida or Daesh, also known as the Islamic State, fall into a separate category.

While the report says it is difficult to measure the precise level of antisemitism in Canada, it says the number of hate-motivated incidents directed at the Jewish and Arab/Muslim communities reported to police since Oct 7, 2023, have risen.

Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, said the use of antisemitism by extremist groups isn't well known by the public but experts have seen it for some time — particularly by far-right groups.

"Antisemitism is always part of the narrative and when it can be exploited as blatantly as this, there's no hesitation in doing so," she said.

However, they don't just use antisemitism, Perry pointed out.

"The far right is playing both sides here. They're promoting antisemitism but they're also promoting anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment at the same time. [Gaza] is a win-win situation for them."