Since violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated last week, at least 100 new WhatsApp groups have been formed for the express purpose of committing violence against Palestinians, according to an analysis by The New York Times and FakeReporter, an Israeli watchdog group that studies misinformation

EDMONTON -- Adam Zepp says he was leaving his parents' home Sunday evening when someone inside a passing vehicle shouted at him, "Free Palestine." He wouldn't have thought much of it given the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, but then on the way out of the neighbourhood, the same people asked, "Do any Jews live here?... Where do the Jews live?"

It's the first time the 35-year-old Jewish Edmontonian can recall being targeted -- and he is sure he was in one way or another.

"They didn't go to another neighbourhood. They went to ... a neighbourhood where a lot of Jews live," Zepp told CTV News Edmonton.

The incident, which he says happened in the area of Edmonton's Beth Israel Synagogue, is one of several anti-Semitic incidents in recent days, according to the leadership of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton.

"On the evening of May 16 there were some incidents in the west end of Edmonton involving a vehicle driving through the neighbourhood 'seeking Jews,' confronting people and making threats," Steve Shafir and Stacey Leavitt-Wright wrote in Alberta Jewish News.

Zepp also heard others in his community had encountered the vehicle.

"It was very difficult to determine from their tone what they were looking to do... and I still don't really know," he said.

"Were they just driving around trying to cause commotion? To harass? Or did they actually have more nefarious ideas planned?"

It's a very complicated issue. As with all complicated issues, I ask myself where the evangelical Christians stand, and then take the opposite stand. That way I am guaranteed to be on the side of Good.