New statistics from Toronto law enforcement reveal a disturbing pattern of religious hate crimes, with Jewish residents bearing the brunt of targeted attacks throughout 2025.
According to the Toronto Police Service 2025 Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report released this week, anti-Jewish incidents made up 82% of all religiously motivated hate crimes documented in the Canadian city. Anti-Muslim incidents comprised 14% of such crimes.
The Abraham Global Peace Initiative responded Thursday with concern about the findings, particularly noting that overall hate crimes have jumped 40% in 2026 when compared to the corresponding timeframe in the previous year.
Despite acknowledging some improvement in overall hate crime numbers during 2025, the organization emphasized that the recent uptick demonstrates ongoing dangers from antisemitism and radical messaging.
“The sharp increase underscores that antisemitism and extremist hate remain a serious and growing threat to public safety and social cohesion,” the organization said.
Toronto authorities documented over 375 protests and rallies connected to Middle Eastern conflicts during 2025, according to the police data.
Avi Abraham Benlolo, who founded and leads the organization, emphasized that the statistics reveal the magnitude of dangers confronting Jewish residents and highlighted the need for robust law enforcement responses to hate-motivated crimes and inflammatory speech.
“AGPI has consistently advocated for the strong enforcement of the law against antisemitism, hate crimes, extremism, and incitement,” Benlolo said. “These statistics confirm both the seriousness of the threat facing the Jewish community and the importance of proactive policing, arrests, and meaningful criminal consequences.”
The data also showed improved police response rates, with arrests occurring in roughly 32% of hate crime cases in 2025, up from 25% the year before. Officials noted this arrest rate has doubled since 2023.
Law enforcement took 73 people into custody for hate-motivated crimes, resulting in 217 criminal charges filed.
The organization praised the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit, Counter-Terrorism Security Unit, and Chief Myron Demkiw for enhancing investigative procedures and reporting mechanisms, but cautioned that synagogue shootings, threats against Jewish facilities, and extremist language demand nationwide focus.
“Antisemitism is not simply a Jewish problem — it is a threat to democracy, public safety, and the stability of our society,” Benlolo said.
