2nd Aug

Police in Montreal are investigating a suspicious fire that caused significant damage to the kosher restaurant Nöam overnight. The blaze occurred in the city's central district around 3:15 a.m. local time. While no one was injured, the incident comes amid a recent string of suspected antisemitic attacks and incidents targeting Jewish communities across Canada.

Preliminary information suggests a person was seen near the restaurant around the time of the fire, and police have acquired surveillance footage for their investigation. Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather publicly demanded that the attack on the "Jewish business must be investigated as a hate crime." He expressed disgust on social media, urging that those responsible be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

This event follows a pattern of escalating antisemitic incidents in Canada. In Toronto, a Jewish-owned bakery was targeted by gunfire, and another branch had its windows smashed. Police have indicated that hired gunmen appear to be targeting Jewish sites in the city. By May 2026, Canada's Jewish community had already experienced more violent antisemitic attacks than in the entirety of the previous year, indicating a disturbing trend of increasing hostility.

“

This attack on a Jewish own business must be investigated as a hate crime & those involved in this criminal act must be caught & prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.