Was a Toronto byelection a wake-up call on Trudeau's approach to antisemitism?

An organizer who encouraged Jewish residents to vote against the Liberals in this week's Toronto byelection suggests a rise in antisemitism motivated many to show up at the polls.

An organizer who encouraged Jewish residents to vote against the Liberals in this week's Toronto byelection suggests a rise in antisemitism motivated many to show up at the polls.

Andrew Kirsch, the riding's Progressive Conservative candidate in the 2018 provincial election, helped launch the Jewish Ally group earlier this year in anticipation of Monday's vote. 

The close race ended with the Liberals suffering a stunning loss and the Tories' Don Stewart winning by nearly 600 votes.

Kirsch says members of the Jewish community feel "abandoned" by the governing Liberals, and he believes that played a bigger role in the results than any views about the Israel-Hamas war itself. 

Both Liberals and Conservatives have acknowledged that the crisis in the Middle East was a factor in a riding where one in six residents identifies as Jewish. 

During the campaign, the Tories made a direct appeal to the Jewish community. 

Households received a letter signed by Melissa Lantsman, a deputy leader for the party and a Toronto-area MP who is Jewish herself.