Toronto city councillor was the target of antisemitic threats, police say

March 19, 2024 Canuck

North York councillor James Pasternak was the target of suspected antisemetic threats earlier this month, his office has confirmed to CP24.

On Tuesday, police announced that they charged a man after he allegedly contacted the constituency office of a local councillor over the phone and made “several antisemitic threatening comments towards them.”

The incident, which police are calling hate-motivated, happened on March 9.

“We are very grateful to Toronto Police for their swift action and are working with corporate security as well,” Pasternak’s executive assistant Jenna Drazman wrote in an email.

In a post on X, the York Centre-Downview councillor said that he would be following up with Mayor Olivia Chow and city staff to review the implementation of City Council’s ‘Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate’ motion, which was passed days after the Israel-Gaza war broke out in October and asks the Toronto Police Services Board to establish community safety zones around places of workship and cultural and religious daycares and schools that are recognized as a potential target for hate.

Pasternak said that his request comes in response to a number of recent incidents within the GTA.

Mehboob Rajwani, 64, of Markham, is facing several offences in connection with the March 9 incident, including uttering threats, indecent communication, and criminal harassment.

News of the arrest comes one day after Toronto police released updated statistics showing a significant rise in hate crime reports since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

Within days after the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, City Council adopted the ‘Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate’ motion. It “requests the Toronto Police Services Board to create community safety zones for areas surrounding places of worship and cultural and religious… pic.twitter.com/3o7E9SAz0Z

— James Pasternak (@PasternakTO) March 19, 2024