Two weeks ago, a survey conducted by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario (JMAO) made headlines in the Toronto Star, the National Post and the Toronto Sun. The methodologically-questionable survey promotes misleading claims about antisemitism and Jewish identity — namely that there is an environment of imminent and overwhelming danger facing Jewish physicians in Canada.

As Jewish physicians, we share our colleagues’ concerns about real and disturbing incidents of antisemitism in Canada today, especially those perpetrated by white supremacists. Unfortunately, criticisms of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza are often mislabelled as instances of antisemitism. This results in a mainstream discourse around antisemitism that serves to suppress legitimate political debate. And it has led some Canadian health workers to be defamed as antisemitic or even suspended for calling attention to Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people.

To effectively combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, we must accurately identify them.