David Katzman recalled his teenage years in Saskatoon when he believed that antisemitism was a thing of the past. Older members of his synagogue warned him in the 1970s that antisemitism never truly disappears but lies dormant, waiting for the right circumstances to resurface. Speaking in Saskatoon provincial court, Katzman acknowledged that his initial optimism was misplaced.
During the sentencing of Brandon Taylor Moore, who confessed to inciting hatred against Jewish people, Katzman delivered a victim impact statement. Moore, aged 45, was apprehended last December following complaints about antisemitic remarks on his X account (formerly Twitter). Although charged with promoting hatred, promoting antisemitism, and improper firearm storage, these charges were dropped at the end of his sentencing.
According to the sentencing agreement, Moore utilized his X account with around 180,000 followers to spread hateful content targeting Jewish individuals between February 2024 and December 2025. The statements included calls for the removal or exclusion of Jewish people.
Despite being released on bail conditions that prohibited him from posting on the internet, Moore’s account remained active as of Monday, with no new posts since his arrest in December. As part of his sentence, Moore is mandated to delete all posts made between Feb. 1, 2024, and Dec. 17, 2025.
Various Jewish individuals and representatives of Jewish organizations expressed the distress and fear caused by Moore’s posts in court. Rochelle Direnfeld, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, highlighted the use of age-old antisemitic themes that dehumanize and marginalize Jewish people.
A joint sentencing recommendation by Crown prosecutor David Piche and Moore proposed an 18-month conditional sentence, requiring Moore to serve time in the community. The sentence includes six months of house arrest, followed by a six-month curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Moore must also undergo personal counseling, participate in hate speech education programs, and complete 150 hours of community service.
Moore, representing himself in court, read a prepared statement expressing his community involvement and addressing the Gaza conflict. He acknowledged his responsibility for the interpretation of his words by the public. Judge Sanjeev Anand emphasized that Moore’s comments had crossed a line by targeting an entire group historically subjected to discrimination and extermination attempts.
Anand cautioned Moore against allowing personal biases to affect his view of his neighbors, urging him to consider the impact of his words on others.
