All 144 Conservative Members of Parliament in Canada have signed an open letter denouncing antisemitism. This action follows a similar letter that garnered signatures from only 32 Liberal MPs, which is less than a fifth of their caucus. The Conservative letter was released after a violent incident at a kosher grocery store in Ottawa on August 27, where an elderly woman was stabbed in what police classified as a hate-motivated crime. A 71-year-old man has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.

On August 31, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather announced on social media that he and 31 other Liberal MPs had signed an open letter calling for action against antisemitism. However, the remaining 137 members of Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal caucus did not sign the letter, which is part of a total of 169 Liberal MPs in the House of Commons.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman expressed on social media that her party would "stand up and protect the Jewish community in Canada, even when the government won’t." She shared the open letter, which included signatures from all Conservative MPs, including party leader Pierre Poilievre. The letter stated, "Conservatives are outraged by yet another vile antisemitic attack, this time at a grocery store in Ottawa. Since Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7, 2023, anti-Jewish hatred has skyrocketed on our streets and in our neighborhoods. For too long, the government has been silent and absent."

Statistics Canada reported a rise in police-reported hate crimes against the Jewish community in 2023, with 70 percent of such crimes targeting Jews. The violence escalated following the October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and ignited an ongoing conflict with Israel.

B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy organization, released a report in April indicating that there were 6,219 incidents of antisemitism in Canada in 2024, the highest number recorded since the organization began tracking such data in 1982. The group praised the Conservative caucus for its "moral clarity" and emphasized that a unified response to hate should not be controversial. They urged all MPs to take immediate action to address the crisis of antisemitism.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs also called for concrete measures to combat the rise of antisemitism. They suggested that antisemites face real criminal consequences, increased funding for community security, and the closing of loopholes in Canada’s anti-terror laws. They also advocated for the urgent implementation of safe access zone legislation, which would protect areas such as schools and places of worship from protests.

In Toronto, a bylaw enacted on July 2 allows over 18 Jewish institutions and one mosque to be designated as safe access zones, prohibiting protests within 50 meters of their entrances. CIJA has also urged politicians to ensure Jewish participation in civic life is protected.

Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the Ottawa attack, labeling it "senseless" and "disturbing." He reassured the Jewish community that they are "not alone" in facing hate and threats to their safety. However, his name did not appear on the open letter shared by Housefather.

Conservative MP Don Stewart criticized the Liberal response, stating that 32 signatures from the Liberal caucus was "not very many." He asserted, "There is only one party in Parliament whose entire caucus supports the safety of Jewish Canadians."

In response to inquiries about the lack of signatures from the other Liberal MPs, Housefather clarified that the letter was drafted and signed within 24 hours over a holiday weekend. He noted that it was initially intended to be from the Jewish caucus before expanding to include others. Housefather added that "virtually everyone who was asked signed on" and that more signatures came in after the letter was released.