RCMP aware of social media threats to Jewish community, calls for vigilance

The RCMP says it’s aware of social media posts threatening the Jewish community in Canada, calling it a time for “increased vigilance.”

The statement comes as several Canadian police forces, including in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, say they have upped patrols in response to the Israel-Hamas war but have not identified any specific local threats.

Police services in Peel (Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon), Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills), Hamilton and the Durham and Niagara regions have also acknowledged the threats.

A spokesperson for the Mounties declined to answer further questions about the social media threats, including whether the force was investigating.

The statement says any threats are taken seriously and investigated as warranted.

The Ontario Provincial Police issued a statement Friday morning saying it was aware of “global online threats of violence regarding the situation in the Middle East.”

Hamas’ deadly rampage through southern Israel last Saturday and the ensuing Israeli bombardment in Gaza has killed more than 2,800 people.

The Canadian Press