An elderly Jewish woman was stabbed in an Ottawa grocery store this past week by another senior citizen, who allegedly has a long social media history of antisemitic tirades.
Last Wednesday, the victim and her friend entered Loblaws, which has a large kosher food section, according to an Ottawa Police Service statement, and was approached by a man who stabbed her. The OPS updated the next day that the victim and assailant did not know one another.
The wounded woman was assisted by store staff, transported to the hospital by paramedics, and released from medical care.
The man, identified by the Ottawa Citizen as Joseph Rooke, was arrested at the scene of the crime by OPS officers.
The 71-year-old Cornwall resident was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in a LinkedIn post that he was in contact with the victim’s family and Jewish leaders in Ottawa.
Canadian leadership condemns Ottawa attack
“This reprehensible violence has understandably caused significant distress within Ottawa’s Jewish community,” said Sutcliffe. “We must stand together against violence and hatred in all its forms and continue working together to ensure Ottawa remains a safe and inclusive city for everyone.”
The Jewish Federation of Toronto said in a Facebook post that police had considered the possibility that the incident was hate-motivated. The federation stated that, in addition to being in contact with political and law enforcement leaders, it had also been in touch with Loblaws to discuss security.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and B’nai Brith Canada alleged that the motive of the attack was antisemitic, pointing to posts on a social media account allegedly owned by Rooke as proof.
“I am antisemitic and atheist,” the social media account declared in a July 1 post detailing his hatred for Israel and Judaism as “the world’s oldest cult.”
“Over thousands of years Judaism has become a cult of bloodlines based upon the absurdity of Jewish belief that a non-existent god chose them to be its chosen people of earth. There is not one iota of doubt in the Jewish mind of their supremacy,” wrote an account identifying as a Joe Rooke from Cornwall.
“So over time Jews have become insidious in governments, businesses, media conglomerates, and educational institutions in order to do what they do better than anyone else. Jews are the world’s masters of propaganda, gaslighting, demonization, demagoguery, and outright lying. Using their collective wealth they have become masters of reprisal. Anyone accused of antisemitism is hunted and hounded in public, the media, and academia.”
Multiple posts blamed Judaism as the ethos that led to a supposed genocide in Gaza, explaining often that he did not like Jews and hated all religions. On October 12, a post was added explaining that while no side was blameless, Israel forced the hands of Hamas to commit the October 7 massacre by not accepting a two-state solution.
Bnai Brith Canada said on social media that it had warned Canadian leaders the dangers of allowing antisemitism to foment unchecked.
“What has become of our nation? What has become of Canadian values?” the Jewish Canadian organization asked. “The Canada that was internationally recognized as a leader in the advancement of human rights, and a land of opportunity, is not the Canada we are living in today. We are living in the Canada where strangers stab women while they are shopping for groceries, seemingly targeting them because of their religious beliefs.”
CIJA said on X/Twitter that it had seen the normalization of antisemitism in Canada, with protests targeting Jews and Jewish life.
“We are at a tipping point in Canada: inaction in the face of antisemitism is complicity,” the center said. “We call on all levels of government to act urgently and decisively to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Canadians. Condemnations are not enough – Canada must take concrete steps to protect its citizens and put an end to the spread of violent antisemitism in our communities.”