A Montreal man allegedly involved in the firebombing of a Dollard-des-Ormeaux synagogue and vandalization of a Jewish community building in December was arrested by the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Anjou resident was set to appear before the Montreal courthouse the same day to face charges for setting a fire to the Congregation Beth Tikvah synagogue with an "incendiary object" and smashing two windows of a nearby community center.
Despite the arrest, the criminal investigation is continuing, the SPVM noted in a Wednesday statement.
The Jewish Community Council of Montreal thanked the SPVM on X for their "focus, hard work and drive to get these horrible people off of our streets."
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Quebec praised law enforcement for their efforts, but noted that it was now the responsibility of prosecutors to ensure that deterrence would be established.
Last night, incendiary devices were thrown at the Beth Tikvah synagogue and the @FederationCJA ‘s West Island building in Dollard-des-Ormeaux causing, in both cases, damage to the buildings’ exteriors and interiors.These latest antisemitic attacks demonstrate once again the… pic.twitter.com/QAa6Mw1BzG
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) December 18, 2024
'Enough is enough'
"We must make it clear that the hateful targeting of the Jewish community has serious consequences," CIJA Quebec VP Eta Yudin said on X. "We must send the message that enough is enough. The hateful motivations behind these events are clear and must be considered in sentencing. That is why we will continue to advocate for the formation of special prosecutors to handle hate crimes and incidents."
The pre-dawn arson attack, which was extinguished by a responding police officer, only caused minor damage, but it was the second attack against the site. The building, which houses the synagogue, Hebrew Foundation School, and Federation Combined Jewish Appeal (CJA), had been subject to a similar attack in November 2023. The Jewish community center was also vandalized in the previous incident.
"The second attack on the same location is deeply disturbing and a stark reminder of the persistence of antisemitic hatred," JCC Montreal executive director Sabbi Saul Emanuel said in a December statement. "This is not an isolated incident -- it is a repeated assault on a cornerstone of our community that serves as a hub for education, faith, and social services. Such acts of violence cannot be ignored or minimized."
The December arson was featured in B’nai Brith Canada's Monday Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents as among "the most appalling cases featured in the report." B'nai Brith said in a Wednesday statement that in 2024 Quebec had seen a 215.7 percent increase of antisemitic incidents since 2023.
“Since October 7, 2023, Beth Tikvah has been attacked in repeated, shocking displays of antisemitism,” B’nai Brith Canada Research and Advocacy director Richard Robertson said. “Since then, there has been a crisis of antisemitism in Canada. We are pleased that the Montreal police have done their due diligence on this arrest, but more must be done to restore Jewish Canadians’ sense of security and wellbeing.”