Toronto bagel shops attacked in alleged antisemitic hate crimes, sparking council criticism

On Sunday, two Kiva’s Bagel Bakery locations in Toronto - one in mid-town and another in the city’s northern Jewish enclave - were damaged, with one storefront shot at, prompting police to launch a hate-crime investigation. The incidents have provoked fury among local Jews, with former Liberal MP Michael Levitt labeling them “utterly reprehensible” and calling for concrete results rather than mere condemnations. Critics have turned their focus to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recently announced whole-of-government antisemitism strategy, noting that the advisory council he appointed has yet to produce visible outcomes and includes figures like former MP Omar Alghabra, whose past leadership of the Canadian Arab Federation raises concerns.

Mayor Olivia Chow denounced the attacks as “vile and unacceptable,” while political opponents such as Brad Bradford and Roman Baber have pledged to collaborate with Jewish leaders to combat the surge. Media commentators and organizations like CLARITy Coalition Canada and Honest Reporting Canada have highlighted the broader pattern of rising antisemitic incidents in Toronto, calling the lack of council action a “failure of indifference.” The community awaits police identification of the perpetrators and hopes for restored safety for Jewish businesses.