In separate cases, two Edmonton men were charged for posting threats against the Jewish community online in December, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Monday.
Amjad Jaradat was arrested on December 19 and has since been charged with uttering threats on social media against the Jewish community, according to the EPS.
The 31-year-old man’s posts allegedly threatening harm against Jews were discovered by the Niagara Regional Police Service on December 17. The EPS was contacted when it was determined that the post appeared to have originated from Edmonton.
Jaradat now resides in Saskatoon and has been released under a series of restrictions, including the prohibition of possessing weapons or any firearms.
The suspect is also restricted from coming within 100 meters of any Jewish house of worship, community center, community event, or rallies connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is also to be confined to his residence save for employment and medical emergencies, and is banned from possessing Internet-capable electronic devices, except for work or use of social media.
EPS chief Warren Driechel said that, following events in Australia and other conflicts around the world, he wanted to assure all faith communities that their safety was a priority.
“Whether online or in person, hate has no place in our society, and we will continue to investigate these incidents to the fullest extent.”
Jewish Federation of Edmonton commends authorities
The Jewish Federation of Edmonton welcomed the news of the arrest.
“We commend authorities from across Canada for their swift work and expect criminals to be held accountable to the full extent of the law,” the federation said.
RCMP Alberta announced the same day that Edmonton resident Esteban Pavez had been arrested and charged on December 20 for uttering threats against Jews.
The 35-year-old had allegedly been “sharing extremist views and comments toward the Jewish community,” according to an RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team online investigation.
These announcements of two different “hate-related” arrests by two law enforcement agencies were “another stark reminder of the escalating threats and violence directed at our Jewish community,” the federation said on social media.
Both the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the federation called on all levels of government to address the sources of radicalization in Canadian society.