After less than 20 percent of Liberal parliamentarians endorsed a letter condemning antisemitism, Canada’s entire 144-member Conservative caucus pledged to “stand up and protect the Jewish community in Canada, even when the government won’t.”

“We are unanimous,” the Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre, wrote on Thursday, sharing his party’s statement. Mr. Poilievre and his fellow party members articulated in the letter their concerns that antisemitism has “skyrocketed on our streets and in our neighbourhoods” following Hamas’s October 7 attack, while “the government has been silent and absent.”

The statement comes a few days after a Jewish woman was stabbed at an Ottawa kosher supermarket in what police are treating as a hate-motivated crime. The 70-year-old assailant had allegedly shared posts on Facebook describing himself as “antisemitic and atheist” and detailing his hatred for Judaism, which he called “the world’s oldest cult.” The victim, also in her 70s, was critically injured but survived the attack. 

On Monday, members of Canada’s Liberal Party issued a statement condemning the attack and voicing concern about the “deep sense of unease, fear, and unsafety among many Jewish Canadians across Canada.” The letter served as “a call to action for all Canadians, all levels of government, law enforcement, schools, public institutions and places of work.” 

However, the letter drew signatures from only 37 parliamentarians — less than 20 percent of the Liberal Party’s 169 current members. The current party leader, Prime Minister Mark Carney, was not among the signatories.

Canada’s oldest Jewish human rights organization, B’nai Brith Canada, branded the party’s letter “too little too late” and criticized that a majority of Liberal parliamentarians failed to sign the statement.

“Though we appreciate the support, we would be remiss if we did not note that only 18% of the government caucus had the moral clarity and courage to speak out about the unprecedented crisis of antisemitism plaguing our country,” the group wrote. 

In contrast, the Jewish advocacy group praised the universally supported Conservative statement, calling on “every party in Canada” to emulate their “moral clarity.”

“A unanimous response to hate should not be controversial,” the group wrote. “The devolving crisis of antisemitism requires every MP to act now. As parliament resumes, it is imperative that tangible actions be implemented to address this crisis. How our government tackles antisemitism will demonstrate its commitment to human rights and Canadian values.”