Israel raises alert for travellers to Canada, warning of ‘increased threat’

Israel raised its travel alert for Canada to a “potential threat level” on Sunday, warning of “an increased threat by terrorists against Israelis and Jews in Canada.”

The warning issued by Israel’s National Security Council came on the same day as demonstrators gathered in Toronto, Vancouver and other Canadian cities for the United Jewish Appeal’s annual Walk with Israel event.

“Today (Sunday), anti-Israel organizations in Canada are planning to hold protests and demonstrations … in opposition to rallies in support of Israel,” the Israeli notice says.

“In the past few days, the discourse surrounding these events has become more radical, including what could be understood as calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews at these events.”

The notice recommends attendees at the Walk with Israel events follow the instructions and advice of police and security officials “and avoid any friction with the anti-Israel protests.”

Toronto police said Sunday they had arrested and charged a man with mischief and causing a disturbance after he allegedly yelling anti-Semitic slurs at attendees during the Walk with Israel event in that city.

Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue said in a statement Friday that police were “aware of plans by some individuals to interfere with the event” in Toronto and would have “a strong presence in and around” the demonstration along with regional policing agencies.

Canadian Jewish organizations have hosted the Walk with Israel event, though sometimes under different names, for more than 50 years.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11196114/israel-canada-travel-warning-walk-toronto-vancouver/