A newly formed Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism will hold a national inquiry.

According to a news release issued today (June 2) by Vancouver Quadra Liberal MP Joyce Murray, the all-party committee will investigate the extent of antisemitism in Canada. Murray and Vancouver Centre Liberal MP Hedy Fry  are the only two B.C. MPs on the inquiry panel.

It will begin by accepting written submissions of up to 2,000 words from any individual or group no later than July 31st. This will be followed by hearings in the fall to gather testimony, culminating in a final report by the spring of 2010.

“Antisemitism is on the rise around the world on a scale not seen since World War II,” Murray said in the news release. “The inquiry launched by our Coalition will be an important tool in understanding the extent of the problem in Canada, and how to combat it.”

Murray participated in the London Conference on Antisemitism  in February.  

It produced the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism, which urged legislators around the world to “establish inquiry scrutiny panels that are tasked with determining the existing nature and state of antisemitism in their countries and developing recommendations for government and civil society action".

The Canadian Parliamentary Committee to Combat Antisemitism inquiry panel is chaired by Liberal MP Mario Silva and the vice chair is Conservative MP Scott  Reid. The members are Carolyn Bennett, Lois Brown, Luc Desnoyers, Ken Dryden, Rick Dykstra, Raymonde Folco, Hedy Fry, Randy Hoback, Peter Kent, Joyce Murray, Anita Neville, David Sweet, íˆve-Mary Thaí¯, Thi Lac, Tim Uppal, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, and Jeff Watson.

The coalition's steering committee is chaired by Reid, and the vice chair is Silva. The other steering committee members are Desnoyers, Folco, Candice Hoeppner, Bob Rae, Sweet, Thaí¯, Lac, and Wasylycia-Leis.