Anti-Semitic incident outside Thornhill synagogue ‘unfounded’

Police caution complainant against false reporting

Yorkregion.com
July 31, 2015
By Tim Kelly

Police announced Friday afternoon that reports of an anti-Semitic incident outside a Thornhill synagogue last week are unfounded.

York Regional Police investigators received reports of a disturbing incident that allegedly occurred on July 22 outside Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) synagogue on Clark Avenue, just north of Steeles Avenue in Thornhill.

The original report said a car was parked close to a stop sign with two men located nearby, their faces covered by hoodies. It was also reported the men were taking pictures of security cameras at the synagogue.

Allegedly, after a security guard approached them, one of the men made an anti-Semitic remark, before they got into the vehicle and drove away.

A story in local news media indicated one of the men said “f*** Jews” before leaving. It also said the York police force would be stepping up patrols around places of worship across the region as a result of the incident.

After further investigation, however, police are now telling a different story.

They say, “while there may have been youths in the area at the time, they were not concealing their identity, nor taking photos. The offensive remark was directed against the security guard personally and was not of an anti-Semitic nature,” according to a York Region Police news release.

Police further emphasized there was no security threat from the incident to the BAYT or to the Jewish community.

Police also say they have cautioned the complainant in the incident regarding false reporting and the misuse of police resources.

In a media release Friday, The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center commended York Police for its “diligent investigation” into the alleged suspicious activity.

“As Jewish communities in Canada and, indeed, around the world face an alarming increase in anti-Semitic activity, people are understandably on edge and alert to potential dangers,” explained Wiesenthal Centre president & CEO Avi Benlolo.

“We are pleased to learn the allegations in this incident were unfounded and that the synagogue was not targeted, and we commend York Police on the seriousness of its investigation and the speed with which it was undertaken.”