Canada report sees rising anti-Semitism

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OTTAWA, July 8 (UPI) -- Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Canada, especially at universities, a parliamentary group says.

The Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism released its report Thursday after more than a year of hearings, 74 witnesses and more than 150 written submissions, Postmedia News reported.

The report urged the federal government to work with police to define anti-Semitic crimes, standardize reporting and consider anti-Semitism overseas in immigration policies.

Former Liberal MP Mario Silva, who led the hearings, said many Jewish college students feel intimidated by campus events like Israeli Apartheid Week, which opposes Israel's treatment of Palestinians and advocates boycotts and sanctions. The coalition defined that as anti-Semitism.

"We can't have a situation of fear and intimidation on our campuses," Silva said. "It's not an issue of shutting down free speech."

The coalition did not invite Muslim and dissenting Jewish groups to offer statements.

"They would rather just focus on attacking the work we were doing," Silva said. "Just speaking for myself, I didn't want to give a platform to individuals who had no time for us, so why should we have time for them?"