Bail denied for DDO synagogue firebombing suspect
By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
Quebec Court Judge Salvatore Mascia has denied bail to Mohamed Ilyess Akodad, 19, charged in connection with the December firebombing of Congregation Beth Tikvah synagogue in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. The decision, delivered Thursday at the Montreal courthouse, means the accused will remain in detention until his next court appearance, with a formality hearing scheduled for late July.
The charges stem from what police investigators have deemed a deliberate attack on the synagogue located on Westpark Street. In the early morning hours of December 18, emergency services responded to a 911 call at approximately 3 a.m. reporting a fire at the religious institution. The perpetrator had thrown a Molotov cocktail through a window, shattering a glass panel adjacent to the front doors and igniting a fire in the vestibule leading to the inner door. Two windows were also broken at the Federation CJA West Island building across the street that same morning.
The SPVM arson squad arrested Akodad in April at his Anjou residence after executing a search warrant which led investigators to seize various pieces of evidence including materials related to incendiary devices.
Akodad faces charges of arson, attempted arson, destruction of property, and possession of incendiary materials. He pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance.
The December incident marked the second attack on Beth Tikvah following a similar firebombing in November 2023, when staff and congregants arrived to find their front doors charred from a Molotov cocktail attack. Federation CJA’s West Island offices were also targeted in that incident, with a second Molotov cocktail discovered at its location.
“We are grateful to the police for diligently investigating this case,” said B’nai Brith Canada’s Regional Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada Henry Topas, who also serves as cantor for Beth Tikvah. “Brazen attacks on our places of worship have left deep scars in Montreal’s Jewish community.”
DDO Mayor Alex Bottausci strongly condemned the attacks in both incidents. “These cowards need to be brought to justice with the severest penalties possible. To all the members of the Jewish community feeling threatened by this heinous act, I want to assure you that an investigation is currently underway and that our city is invested in the safety of our community,” Bottausci said to The Suburban.
Beth Tikvah Rabbi Emeritus Mordecai Zeitz maintained a positive stance citing to his sentiments to The Suburban regarding the community’s resilience despite the attacks. “We have been here for 60 years and we will be here for another 60 years.”
Federation CJA acknowledged that their Community Security Network was “instrumental in not only preventing greater damage but also in providing the tools and resources to law enforcement needed to further their investigation.”
According to B’nai Brith’s latest Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, Quebec recorded a 215.7 percent increase in antisemitic incidents since 2023. Jews remain Canada’s most targeted religious minority, being the victims of almost 60% of hate crimes while making up only 2% of the population.
The area around Beth Tikvah also comprises the Hebrew Foundation School, which earlier in 2023 was targeted when two young men tore down and defaced Israeli flags.
Crown prosecutor Marie-Claude Bourassa will present additional evidence at the July hearing.
This arrest represents a first following multiple attacks on Jewish institutions across the Greater Montreal Area since the October 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists in Israel. The Montreal community watches closely on this carrying out of justice. n
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