Man arrested after knife attack at Israeli tent in Edmonton Heritage Festival

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Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, confirmed the incident in an email to National Post, stating that “this is still an active police investigation and we are (holding off on) official comments until an announcement (comes) from EPS about the charges.” 

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National Post has reached out to Edmonton police for further details.

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In her Shabbat message today, shared with National Post, Leavitt-Wright wrote: “By now, most of you have seen or heard about an incident that took place midway through the festival and is currently the subject of a police investigation … Immediately after the incident at the kitchen tent, dancers who were about to go onstage for the 3 p.m. show were whisked to shelter in place at the culture tent, along with staff and volunteers.

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“Once we received the all-clear, they too were given a choice: perform a shortened show or not dance at all. While loud chants of “all Zionists are racists” and “one solution, revolution” permeated the air, they chose to dance. I cannot imagine what they were feeling inside, but I saw it culminate in a triumphant display of resolve and pride…”

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The Abraham Global Peace Initiative posted on X on Thursday that it was “horrified by reports that an armed man breached the Israel Pavilion at Edmonton’s Heritage Festival and lunged toward its kitchen tent with a knife before being restrained and arrested. This was not protest; it was an alleged act of violence against a cultural pavilion celebrating Israeli and Jewish life.”

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