Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rebuked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for what Netanyahu perceives as an endorsement of an anti-Israel protester’s accusation of “genocide” in Gaza.
Netanyahu stated in an X post that “Canada has historically aligned itself with civilization, and Mr. Carney should do the same. Instead of supporting Israel, a democracy engaged in a just war with just means against Hamas’ barbarity, he is attacking the sole Jewish state. Mr. Carney, please retract your irresponsible statement.”
The incident occurred at a rally in Calgary, Alberta, where a protester shouted to Carney, “Mr. Carney, there’s a genocide happening in Palestine!”
Carney responded by thanking the protester and stating, “I’m aware, which is why we have an arms embargo,” prompting the crowd to chant his name.
This response has ignited controversy, drawing criticism from organizations such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which voiced its objections to Carney’s comments on Twitter. The CIJA also criticized Canada’s arms restrictions on Israel, deeming them “dangerous.”
“It is outrageous to witness politicians legitimizing false narratives of demonization,” CIJA posted on X. “There is no genocide in Gaza. To claim otherwise is false.”
Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi, a member of Canada’s Conservative Party, also denounced Carney’s remarks, describing them as a “disgraceful betrayal of moral clarity.”
“By siding with a heckler and endorsing the false, slanderous claim of ‘genocide’ in Israel, he has demonstrated that he is unworthy of leadership or respect.”
Carney later clarified his comments, asserting that he did not hear the protester use the word “genocide.”
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Carney stated, “It’s noisy. If you’re up there you hear snippets of what people say and I heard Gaza, and my point was I’m aware of the situation in Gaza.”
Canada initiated a halt to arms sales to Israel in January 2024. Several months later, in September 2024, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the suspension of permits for several companies due to a U.S. plan to sell Canadian-made ammunition to Israel. She affirmed that Canada would “not have any form of arms or parts of arms be sent to Gaza, period.”
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