Vivian Bercovici: Belleville shooting is the inevitable result of unchecked Jew-hatred - National Post

Officials with the Special Investigations Unit are seen exiting an SIU vehicle on Monday, not far from the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont. Photo by DEREK BALDWIN/Belleville IntelligencerArticle contentSDEROT, Israel — When the most-watched TV station in Israel went back on the air following the end of Yom Kippur on Monday evening, Belleville, Ont., was top of the news.

A little context may be helpful: Hours before the onset of the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar, a young father of six was murdered in a terror attack. His funeral was held at the close of Yom Kippur, one day later. Iran and its Houthis allies continue to escalate threats and attacks in the Middle East. There’s a lot going on.

Before Monday night, not many people in Israel had heard of Belleville. That has changed. But it takes a lot these days to shock Israelis, or Jews.

Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.

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It took 14 hours for Prime Minister Mark Carney to react with a tepid, detached statement more suited to a routine traffic report. His government colleagues maintained the message discipline, avoiding any strongly worded expressions of shock, horror or disgust, which they customarily deploy when the slightest infraction or prejudice is demonstrated towards other identifiable religious and ethnic groups.

Approximately 17 hours after 29-year-old Sean Ward, a resident of nearby Quinte West, is alleged to have discharged dozens of bullets from a firearm outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, his name was released to the public. It is noteworthy that, by that point, any social media presence he may have had no longer appeared to exist. Was it scrubbed? If so, by whom?

At a press conference held Monday at the scene of the shooting, Belleville’s deputy police chief, Sheri Meeks, and Kristy Denette, a communications official with the Ontario Special Investigations Unit, confirmed that the attack had occurred at approximately 7 p.m. ET on Sunday night.

This was the precise time when the approximately 25 attendees were entering the sanctuary for the beginning of the service. Quickly realizing that they were being attacked, the synagogue’s president told everyone to get on the floor and take cover. Meanwhile, outside, Belleville police officer Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the force, was guarding the building.