Man Arrested in Suspected Antisemitic Hate-Motivated Assault with a Weapon Case
- Mark Sandler
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Abdulkadir Al-Jelani, 58, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with:
Three counts of Assault with a Weapon
One count of Uttering Death Threats
It is alleged that:
on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at approximately 12:10 p.m., the accused, without provocation, approached the victim in the Jane Street and Lawrence Avenue West area
the accused yelled anti-Israeli slurs and then picked up rocks and other items from the street and repeatedly threw them at the victim while uttering death threats
the victim sustained minor injuries
it is believed that the victim was targeted because of their religious attire
He was scheduled to appear in court at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, at 2201 Finch Avenue West, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. No further update was available at the time of publication.
Effective July 18, 2026, when Bill C-9 comes into force, individuals alleged to have committed offences such as uttering death threats and assault with a weapon that are motivated by hatred may be charged not merely with these conventional offences but with a specific hate crime (i.e. hate-motivated assault with a weapon) with enhanced penalties if the prosecution proceeds by indictment.
Upon conviction, the accused's criminal record would show not only the assault with a weapon but that the offence was a hate crime. This is important, especially if the accused is later alleged to have committed further crimes, making their criminal background relevant. A hate crime conviction is also likely to have additional implications – for example, in employment.
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About the Author
Mark Sandler, LL.B., LL.D. (honoris causa), ALCCA’s Chair, is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading criminal lawyers and pro bono advocates. He has been involved in combatting antisemitism for over 40 years. He has lectured extensively on legal remedies to combat hate and has promoted respectful Muslim-Jewish, Sikh-Jewish and Black-Jewish dialogues. He has appeared before Parliamentary committees and in the Supreme Court of Canada on multiple occasions on issues relating to antisemitism and hate activities. He is a former member of the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, a three-time elected Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, and recipient of the criminal profession’s highest honour, the G. Arthur Martin Medal, for his contributions to the administration of criminal justice.