Canada’s Jewish voters weigh economy, Israel, and antisemitism in pivotal election

Canadians head to the polls Monday in a federal election seen as one of the most consequential in years as the country grapples with economic uncertainty, strained ties with the United States, and a surge in antisemitism.

Across Canada, many Jewish voters, for whom the stakes feel especially high, find themselves at a political crossroads. Amir Amozig of Montreal said his decision to break with Canada’s governing Liberal Party after decades of loyalty came down to one issue.

“The colossal failure of the Liberals and NDP [New Democratic Party] to confront antisemitism was absolutely abhorrent,” said Amozig, who voted early, casting his first-ever ballot for the Conservatives.

The Liberals’ “unacceptable moral equivalency” between Hamas — “the genocidal Nazi death cult that invaded Israel” — and Israel’s military response was “a total deal breaker for me,” Amozig said.

Amozig’s shift reflects a broader reckoning within Canada’s Jewish community amid an increasingly polarized political climate.

Canadian Jewish voters have always been diverse — especially compared to their US counterparts who vote overwhelmingly for the Democrats — and tend to follow voting patterns across Canada which ping-pong between Liberal and Conservative governments.

In recent years, and in particular since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, there has been a trend of movement for some Jewish voters, such as Amozig, from the Liberals to the Conservatives.

Many Canadian Jews have been deeply dissatisfied with the Liberal government — particularly under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau — and its policy on Israel. They cite the Trudeau government’s decision to fund UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, even after an internal UN investigation found that members had participated in the October 7 terror onslaught, as well as the government’s imposition of an embargo on new weapons exports to Israel and recent votes against Israel at the UN.

Perhaps more than any specific policy, however, Canadian Jews attribute their rightward shift to what they see as an insufficient show of support from the Liberals as antisemitic incidents skyrocket, including violent attacks on synagogues and schools.

Such concerns are not confined to Jews in the center or right of center. Emma Cunningham, a former New Democratic Party (NDP) district president from Ontario who now votes Liberal, said she left the center-left NDP in 2022 over “rampant antisemitism.”

“My top priorities are social justice issues, so I typically vote with the left,” Cunningham said. “But antisemitism absolutely affects my voting. It’s the only reason I don’t vote NDP.”

While she is satisfied with the Liberals’ “middle of the road” stance on Israel, Cunningham is not entirely pleased with the party’s record.

“We have an antisemitic MP, Jenica Atwin, who crossed the floor from the Greens and [the Liberals] took her in with open arms,” Cunningham said. “There are issues, 100%.”

Small, but mightily battered

Jews, numbering around 400,000, make up about 1% of the Canadian population yet were the targets of nearly one in five hate crimes in 2023, representing a 71% increase over the previous year, according to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

Noah Shack, interim president of CIJA, said Jewish institutions across Canada have been forced to implement extensive new security measures, including daily patrols, vehicle barriers, and threat drills, just to operate safely.

“Hate has become a daily reality,” Shack said.

The unprecedented surge in antisemitism has also driven an uptick in political activism within the Jewish community for what Shack calls “the most consequential election in our generation for Canadian Jews.”

Ellen Magidson, a Conservative supporter in Calgary working to help elect MPs in narrowly divided districts, feels that stakes of this election could not be higher.

“There has never been a more concerning time for Canadian Jews,” she said.

Magidson feels that in contrast to the lukewarm tone of the Liberals, Conservative candidates have been uniquely vocal in condemning antisemitic attacks and affirming Israel’s right to exist.

She wants to elect “members of Parliament who will unabashedly support Israel and condemn terrorism against Israelis.”

Diverse views, but broad consensus

While there seems to be consensus among Canadian Jews that antisemitism is a concern, not all agree with how it is framed or how it should be addressed.

Communications professional Zack Babins, a longtime Liberal supporter in Toronto, said that if there is not a silent majority, then there is “at least a sizable plurality” of Jews who are not voting Conservative.

“I live here, I grew up here,” he said. “The Liberal Party aligns most closely with the Canada I want to live in.”

Babins pushes back against the notion that Jews who vote for the Liberals care less about antisemitism than Conservative voters.

“Yes, antisemitism in Canada is top of mind,” he said. “But I think we’re sometimes missing the whole threat. The Jewish community often gives the right a pass, even though there’s a highly organized right-wing antisemitism that is going largely overlooked.”

He also is critical of “blind support” for the Israeli government and the tendency to conflate legitimate criticism of its policies with anti-Zionism or antisemitism.

“I’m taking my cues for the war from the hostage families, who have been advocating for a ceasefire. To me, that’s supporting Israel,” said Babins.

He criticized those who label ceasefire advocates as antisemitic, saying they are expressing the views not of the Israeli people but of a deeply unpopular Israeli government who “would lose an election if it were held tomorrow.”

Former New Democratic Party (NDP) district president Cunningham, who will vote Liberal, said that Jews who vote Conservative are “voting for the party they feel safest with, and I think that’s absolutely reasonable.”

Critics of the Conservatives say the party’s support for the Jewish community and Israel is disingenuous political posturing. But even members of the Jewish community, such as Cunningham, who won’t vote Conservative are convinced by the party’s sincerity.

“The Jewish vote is small and you aren’t going to win by courting the Jewish community,” said Cunningham. However, she added: “I encourage people to read the rest of the [Conservative party’s] platform and see if it’s something they can live with — because I can’t.”

For many Canadian Jews, they are alarmed not only by rising antisemitism itself, but by what it means about the changing attitudes of the country that has been not only their home, but a haven and oasis from global hatred.

“[Canadian Jews] contribute to this country and the communities in which we live. We practice our faith but are fully Canadian and know how lucky we are to live in this vibrant democracy,” Magidson stressed.

“I want to ask young people: What kind of Canada do you want to live in? That’s the real question we’re facing in this election,” she said.

Cunningham agrees, and said that Jewish voters — like all Canadians — face a complex choice this election.

“At the end of the day, you have to vote for the country you want to live in,” she said.

Trump, the economy, and the broader stakes

While antisemitism and Israel are top of mind for many Jewish voters, the community is equally concerned over the economy and Canada’s increasingly strained relationship with the United States.

Donald Trump’s trade war, launched by slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum, has strained economic ties, hurt industries on both sides, and sparked fears of a deeper rift.

Trump fueled tensions by remarking more than once that Canada should become the 51st state and referring to Trudeau as a “governor.” His comments reflected an aggressive, imperialist attitude rarely seen in modern US-Canada relations that has alarmed the Canadian population and shifted the sands of this election for all voters, including Jews.

In January, the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, were ahead of the Liberals by 27 points. Since Trump’s trade war and the election of Prime Minister Mark Carney as Liberal leader, what had once looked like an easy path for the Conservative Party of Canada to form the next government now appears to be less likely.

“We’re in an economic war with Trump,” said Cunningham, who feels that Liberal leader Mark Carney’s economic expertise makes him the best choice to steer Canada through turbulent waters.

Babins agreed, praising the Liberal government’s handling of US-Canada relations during Trump’s first presidency.

“They’ve dealt with the Trump administration before and know what’s at stake,” he said, accusing some Conservatives of being “too eager to roll over and welcome the Trump era.”

Still, voters like Magidson and Amozig see economic resilience as a strong argument for a Conservative vote. Conservative voters say that, because it was Liberal policies that made Canada economically vulnerable and reliant on the US, it cannot be a Liberal government that will defend Canada’s interests in a trade war.

Magidson pointed to Alberta’s vast natural resources, arguing that Conservative policies would better shield Canada from external shocks.

“We are blessed with incredible natural resources,” she said. “Yet Liberal policies have made us vulnerable to tariffs and unjust policies from the US.”

Amozig acknowledged concerns about some elements within the Conservative base but rejected comparisons between Canadian Conservatives and Trump-style populism.

“People make the critical error of smearing all Conservatives with the same brush,” he said. “I believe the party has a solid plan to strengthen our national economy.”