Canada will not get new special envoys for combatting antisemitism, Islamophobia. Instead, feds announce advisory council

Despite a plea from a Canadian Jewish advocacy group, the Carney government will not be appointing a new special envoy to tackle antisemitism. Neither will it have an Islamophobia envoy. Instead, it launched an advisory council to combat hate on Wednesday.

The role of Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism was previously held by Deborah Lyons. But it has remained open since she stepped down in July. B’nai Brith Canada urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to fill the position in an open letter in mid-January.

“During a national crisis of escalating threats, leaving this office unfilled undermines coordination, weakens accountability, and deprives affected communities of a dedicated federal point of leadership,” the group said in a post on X , while highlighting the increasing amount of antisemitic incidents in Canada.

Lyons was appointed by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in October 2023 , the same month Hamas terrorists murdered more than a thousand people in Israel. Irwin Cotler held the role from 2020 to 2023.

“Impact requires leadership from the federal government in coordination with all other levels of government,” Noah Shack, the CEO of Jewish advocacy group the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in a statement shared with National Post on Wednesday.

“We expect immediate concrete action on solutions that the Jewish community has long advocated for, including support for security and addressing the sources of hate. This is essential to safeguard the future of our community and all Canadians. It is crucial that the government’s new approach and the composition of the advisory council are designed to achieve meaningful outcomes in combatting the unprecedented wave of antisemitism and extremism in Canada.”

The role of Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia is also being scrapped. It was a position held by Amira Elghawaby , a former journalist and human rights advocate, who was appointed to the role in January 2023.

Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages Marc Miller told reporters that the envoy roles will be “folded into” the Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion , the Canadian Press reported.

“This new Advisory Council is about bringing communities together to combat hate,” said Miller’s press secretary Hermine Landry in a statement to National Post on Wednesday.

“Hate is hate, and as Canadians, we must be united in confronting it. The Council will build on the important work of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, as well as the Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.”

She added that details on the transition of the roles into the council and appointment of experts who will serve on it will be finalized in the coming weeks.

“The world is more dangerous and divided, and this moment calls for a renewed focus on strengthening the bonds that hold our society together. As Canada’s population becomes more diverse, fostering community and civic engagement and a collective sense of belonging is becoming increasingly important,” says a government news release about the council.

The council will provide advice to Miller. Its key responsibilities include combatting “all forms of racism and hate including antisemitism and Islamophobia,” and providing “expert advice” on protecting rights, equality and inclusion from a network of trusted leaders from all communities.

• 32 reported incidents of antisemitism in Canada 'this past week,' says Jewish group as it urges Carney to act
• Holocaust survivor hopeful for future of Canada, despite noticing similarities from her past

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