Abdulkadir Al-Jelani, of Toronto, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with making death threats and three counts of assault with a weapon, after he allegedly “without provocation” approached a man, yelled “anti-Israel slurs” and threw rocks “and other items” at the victim from the street, the Toronto Police Service said.
The 58-year-old is also accused of making death threats while throwing the rocks and other things, according to the department. It said that the incident occurred at about 12:10 p.m. and that the suspect was arrested 10 minutes later.
The victim, who is believed to have been targeted for his or her “religious attire,” had minor injuries, the department said. It said the investigation involved a “suspected hate-motivated assault with a weapon.”
Al-Jelani is due in court on July 1 at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre.
The police department said that it is up to the attorney general to decide whether to pursue hate crime charges, which are often added later on.
Jews were the targets of 82% of religion hate crimes in Toronto in 2025, according to police data.
