Three Jewish institutions in Halifax were defaced with antisemitic graffiti. Police confirmed that two shuls — Shaar Shalom and Beth Israel — along with the Chabad-Lubavitch Rohr Family Institute, were tagged with a Nazi swastika and the words “Jews did 9/11.”

The vandalism, discovered Sunday morning, is believed to have been carried out while mispalelim were inside Beth Israel for evening prayers. Rabbi Yakov Kerzner said the incident has shaken the city’s Jewish community. “We haven’t experienced this until now in Halifax,” he told CBC News. “But this is an escalation which does concern the Jewish community. It’s antisemitism, it’s pure anti-Jew hatred.”

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston condemned the attacks in a statement Sunday, calling them “absolutely disgraceful.” He added: “I stand in support of our Jewish friends and neighbours who are shaken by this act of hate. This hatred has no place in Nova Scotia. I hope those responsible are caught and held accountable for their despicable actions.”

The Consulate General of Israel in Montreal urged Canadian authorities “to respond urgently and swiftly.” The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, joined by the Atlantic Jewish Council, linked the synagogue vandalism to a wave of recent anti-Israel protests in the city.

“On the same weekend that extremists silenced fans from cheering on Team Canada, with protestors even publicly displaying the severed head of the Halifax mayor, a Halifax synagogue was defaced with hateful graffiti,” their joint statement read. “Whether intimidating sports fans, threatening elected officials, or targeting people at their places of worship, this is absolutely unacceptable in Canada—an assault on our core Canadian values.”

The attacks came just 24 hours after large demonstrations against Israel’s participation in the Davis Cup forced Canada’s tennis match with Israel to be played behind closed doors at the Scotiabank Centre. Protesters had clashed with fans, and organizers cited security concerns in their decision to ban spectators.

Police confirmed the incidents are under investigation by their hate crime unit.

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