Jewish woman in her 70s stabbed in suspected Ottawa hate crime

"A Jewish woman in her 70s was stabbed at a grocery store in Ottawa in a suspected hate crime, according to local police and Jewish organizations.

The incident took place on Wednesday at Loblaws, a chain known for its large selection of kosher products. Police said that around 1:35 p.m., the victim entered the store with a friend before being approached by a man who stabbed her, leaving her with serious wounds. The woman was taken to the hospital and has since been released, police said.

The Jewish Federation of Ottawa said on Facebook Thursday that it was ‘deeply shaken’ by the stabbing and was ‘relieved to know that the victim, a cherished member of our community, is recovering.’...

While police and most reports on the stabbing did not name the suspect, he was identified by B’nai Brith Canada and the Ottawa Citizen newspaper as Joseph Rooke of Cornwall, Ontario.

A Facebook page matching those details contained several posts against Israel, Jews and religion at large. The posts included accusations that the ‘biblically contrived’ Jewish state was committing atrocities in Gaza and that Jews ‘have become insidious in government, businesses, media conglomerates and educational institutions.’..."