Folks, by now many of you have read about the attempted attack on the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario (east of Toronto) on the Kol Nidre night of Yom Kippur, our holiest day of the Jewish year. I would like to suggest positive ways of supporting the congregation and their community and police.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-officer-critical-gunman-fighting-for-life-after-shooting-near-ontario-synagogue-on-yom-kippur/

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909199

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/officer-belleville-synagogue-shooting

While the ‘official story’ is that the motive for this attack has not yet been determined by police (a continuation of the ‘lone nut’ Canadian denial of terrorism and networks targeting Canada’s Jewish community), recent news of a similar arrest in a community east of Toronto suggests possible criminal conspiracy and online radicalization and a potential terror motive.

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/whitby-man-accused-synagogue-shooting-threats

The wording of the Belleville Police and SIU update to the public was potentially misconstrued by Canadian reporters. The Belleville synagogue had requested additional police presence a week before Yom Kippur, as its usual practice, according to media reports. Israel’s National Security Council had issued warnings to Jews abroad to be vigilant over the high holiday period.

There were similar reports of ISIS – linked networks targeting Pittsburgh synagogues thwarted by the FBI.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/attack-thwarted-jewish-federation-pittsburgh-reaction/

At this late stage I find it ludicrous to see our Canadian civic leaders and media so slow on the uptake as to potential motive and decentering obvious threats to the Jewish community,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)