Canadian man killed in southern Israel has ties to Airdrie

A man from Alberta was gunned down in southern Israel on Monday, near the Gaza border while he was armed with a knife.

Family of 21-year-old Zachareah Adam Quraishi lives in Airdrie and his dad, Adam Quraishi, posted to social media in the wake of learning about his son's death.

"My 21-year-old son Zachareah was killed," he said.

"I'm not able to talk now. I’m processing. Prayers please. He was an empathetic boy. I'm confused."

CTV News reached out to the father for comment but he did not respond.

Zachareah travelled to Israel last weekend.

Israeli military say he arrived on Sunday before renting a car and travelling to the border community of Netiv Ha'asara.

While there, he stepped out of the car with what officials say was a knife.

Officials say he attempted to attack them.

He was shot dead.

"It's deeply concerning and heartbreaking to learn that a Canadian citizen travelled to Israel with the apparent intention of committing an act of terror against Israeli citizens," said Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B'nai Brith Canada.

"It's apparent that Canada has a growing extremism problem. We are now exporting extremism to other countries."

Robertson says this attack is deeply rooted in anti-Semitism and it won't be long before the attacks happen more frequently.

"If a Canadian can travel to Israel to commit a terror attack, then they can commit a terror attack here on Canadian soil," he said.

Mount Royal University criminologist Kelly Sundberg says the entire situation is heartbreaking.

"Protest is one thing. Travelling to another country and attacking young soldiers, trying to murder them at a checkpoint, is a whole other," he said.

Sundberg says the radicalization of young Canadians is growing at an alarming rate through online forums and campus protests at schools.

He blames governments for failing to supply adequate resources to protect Canadians.

"We as a country have done an abysmal job at screening people in the country and at the borders and through the immigration process. It's dangerous," he said.

Quraishi's motives and intentions are unclear and RCMP are working with Israeli officials, according to the federal government.

A spokesperson for public safety minister Dominic Leblanc's office says security agencies will keep working around the clock to protect Canadians and Canada's interests from those seeking to harm them.

"To protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not make further comments at this time," the statement read.

"That said, travelling abroad, and assisting someone with travelling abroad, to commit a terrorist act is a criminal offence – and the full weight of the Canadian law enforcement apparatus will be brought to bear against anyone who would do so."