Last Wednesday, Oct. 22, Canadian Jews were reminded of the fragility of life, not once but twice. 

Just before 10 a.m., Michael Zehaf-Bibeau fatally shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa. Next, Zehaf-Bibeau – a low-grade criminal with a troubled past, and a convert to Islam  – opened fire inside the Centre Block of Parliament. He was shot dead by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers before any more harm could be done. 

Zehaf-Bibeau’s rampage came two days after Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent died as a result of a targeted hit-and-run in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. The perpetrator there, Martin Couture-Rouleau, harboured what the RCMP have referred to as “radical thoughts.” He converted to Islam in 2013.

Meanwhile, at midnight Oct. 22 in Jerusalem, a funeral was held for Chaya Zissel Braun, the three-month-old killed when a Palestinian deliberately drove his car into a light-rail station. She had just visited the Western Wall for the first time in her young life. In the days since, Jerusalem has seen an alarming rise in violence, and record-high police presence. On Oct. 26, a second victim succumbed to her injuries.

The similarities between these tragedies, half a world apart, are impossible to ignore. Each of the perpetrators acted on his own. At the same time, all of them were linked to terrorist ideologies whose aim is to destroy the western way of life, whether in Canada, Israel or elsewhere. Finally, those who died were innocent victims in a global struggle against radical Islam.

In other ways, though, the events in Canada and Israel bear less resemblance to each other. In Canada, where attacks of this nature are thankfully rare, the natural response was shock, but that was followed closely by a pragmatic and healthy debate about how to avoid more of these kinds of assaults. By contrast, in Israel, where terror is tragically inevitable, the reaction was sadness and frustration. If some people weren’t shocked by the killing of a baby, perhaps that’s the worst part of the whole story.

In the days since the murders in Ottawa and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the conversation here has turned to security, and Canadians have been lauded around the world for our sober approach to the subject. The murders of Cpl. Cirillo and Warrant Officer Vincent are alarming, to be sure, but it’s too early to call this a trend, let alone suggest our country is seriously imperilled. And while everyone wants to feel safe, many voices have cautioned that the level of safety we aim for should be proportionate to the threat. 

But in Israel, the danger is constant  – it has been all along. Each new act is a reminder of those that came before, and a harbinger of the ones to come  – and even if Israelis are particularly adept at not being cowed by the enemy, the fear of terror is always present. In Israel, sober debate is essential, but so is decisive action.

In the aftermath of the Ottawa shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced “his full support for Canada’s fight against terrorism, in which Israel and the international community are partners.” Canada and Israel fight together, no doubt, but they also fight apart. It’s the same war, and yet it’s different.   — YONI