Beryl P. Wajsman: A Jewish restaurant has burned. It is not time to succumb to the industry of fear

Beryl P. Wajsman: Special to the National Post

Montreal — There is a debilitating temptation within the Jewish community today to assume that every crime involving a Jewish institution must automatically be an act of antisemitism.

The temptation is understandable. After almost two years of escalating hatred, firebombings, shootings, vandalism, intimidation and open calls for violence against Jews, no one can be faulted for being alert. Vigilance is not only justified — it is necessary.

But vigilance is not the same as reflex.

The arson attack that heavily damaged the Nöam kosher restaurant on Décarie Boulevard in Montreal early Saturday is a serious crime. It deserves a thorough investigation, and those responsible deserve the full weight of the law. Certainly after the attacks in on Kiva’s kosher bakeries in Toronto.

What it does not deserve is an immediate verdict before investigators have completed their work.

I went to the scene. I spoke with people in the neighbourhood. I spoke with contacts familiar with the investigation. The picture that emerged was far more nuanced than the one rapidly circulating on social media.

The Montreal Police Service has assigned both its arson investigators and its hate crimes unit to the case. That is entirely appropriate. Every possible motive should be examined, including antisemitism.

But, as of now, no motive has been established.

According to reliable information surveillance cameras reportedly captured a lone individual walking away from the small commercial building at approximately 3:15 a.m. There were reportedly no antisemitic slogans, no graffiti, and no message claiming ideological responsibility.

The investigation is exactly where it should be: open-minded.

Yair Szlak, the president and CEO of Federation CJA, said that, “Federation CJA and the Security network (CSN) are closely monitoring the situation concerning the arson that took place at a Kosher restaurant in Montreal. We’re working closely with law-enforcement to understand the motive behind it. Regardless of motive, this is a terrible crime and must be punished in accordance with the law.”

This is precisely the right approach. They are working closely with police to determine the motive while emphasizing that, whatever ultimately emerges, grave criminal offences demand prosecution. That is responsible leadership.

I have written before that fear can become self-perpetuating. Every new incident is immediately folded into a predetermined narrative. Facts become secondary. Context disappears. The assumption becomes the conclusion.

Ironically, that weakens rather than strengthens the fight against antisemitism. Let us not forget that in 2022 — the last year before October 7 — Canada recorded some 2,700 antisemitic incidents, according to the League for Human Rights.

When every crime is immediately labelled antisemitic, even when no evidence of that has yet emerged, we blur the distinction between genuine hate crimes and other criminal acts. We invite unnecessary skepticism. We make it easier for those who truly wish to minimize antisemitism to dismiss legitimate concerns as exaggeration.

The truth is our strongest ally. If this investigation concludes that Nöam was targeted because it is a Jewish business, then we should say so loudly and unequivocally. We should demand enhanced penalties where the law permits and insist that governments confront the reality of antisemitism honestly and enforce Criminal Code and Charter protections.

But if investigators conclude it was another criminal motive, we should accept that conclusion with equal honesty.

The Jewish community’s strength has never been panic. It has always been resilience.

I have always argued that governments should stop simply issuing statements and start enforcing the Criminal Code. That principle applies here as well. We should let investigators investigate, prosecutors prosecute, and judges judge.

Our confidence should rest not in fear, but in facts.

Antisemitism is real. It is dangerous. It requires constant vigilance and uncompromising enforcement of the law. But credibility is also a strategic asset.

Every time we insist on evidence, we make it harder for genuine acts of antisemitism to be denied or explained away.

The answer to hatred is not hysteria. It is confidence.

Confidence in ourselves. Confidence in the rule of law. And confidence that truth, not fear, must always have the final word.

Beryl P. Wajsman is president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal