Ford’s apparent link of antisemitism, immigrants is ‘dumb’: minister

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says comments made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford that seemingly suggested immigrants were behind recent attacks on Jewish institutions are “dumb.”

“It’s a dumb thing to say, blaming immigrants. No one was blaming immigrants for the trucker convoy,” Miller said at a press conference in Montreal.

“People have a right to protest when they do. There are legitimate forms, and there are certainly illegitimate forms. And those illegitimate forms certainly include targeting, the deliberate targeting of Jewish institutions.”

Miller also condemned these attacks, including Jewish schools in both Toronto and Montreal being shot at this week.

“If you have issues with the Israeli government, taking on Jews in this country is not the solution. Frankly, if that’s your answer, I don’t want your vote,” Miller said.

Speaking at a vaccine manufacturing announcement in Toronto on Thursday alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Mayor Olivia Chow, Ford accused people of bringing “problems from everywhere else in the world” to Ontario following an incident where a Toronto Jewish girls’ school was shot at on Wednesday.

“I got an idea. Before you plan on moving to Canada, don’t come to Canada if you’re going to start terrorizing neighbourhoods like this. Simple as that,” Ford said Thursday.

“You want to come to Canada, you’re a resident of Ontario, you get along with everyone. I don’t care what background, what religion, what race you come from. You know, diversity is our number one selling tool around the world.”

In an emailed response to Global News, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said they are still investigating the shooting and do not have suspects at this point. The TPS added they do not track the