Toronto police investigating 2 hate-motivated incidents involving mezuzahs

Toronto police says it is investigating two hate-motivated incidents involving mezuzahs, a symbol of Jewish faith.

In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, police said someone reported a stolen mezuzah — a piece of parchment with religious texts that is attached, in a case, to the doorpost of house.

In the other incident, police say “hateful remarks were made.”

The reports come almost a week after Toronto’s police Chief Myron Demkiw revealed hate crime calls are up 132 per cent since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked war.

A total of 14 calls related to hate crimes were made between Oct. 7 and 19 — something Demkiw said “reflects an escalation in hate-motivated incidents and also heightened public tensions.”

Of the 14 reported incidents of hate crimes, he said 12 have been related to antisemitism and two were related to anti-Muslim events. There have been 237 hate crime incidents in Toronto as of last week, up from 192 the same time last year.

The incidents come after Toronto police officers have stepped up patrols in several areas around the city after hearing concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas is causing fear in affected communities.