Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday criticised Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, over comments made during a recent rally, accusing him of lending credibility to claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
“Instead of standing with Israel — a democracy fighting a just war against the Hamas barbarians — [Carney] chooses to attack the world’s only Jewish state,” Netanyahu posted on X, calling on Carney to “backtrack [his] irresponsible statement!”
Canada has always sided with civilization. So should Mr. Carney. But instead of supporting Israel, a democracy that is fighting a just war with just means against the barbarians of Hamas, he attacks the one and only Jewish state. Mr. Carney, backtrack your irresponsible… https://t.co/27ZcXjew85
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 10, 2025
The post came in response to footage from a Tuesday rally in Calgary, where a protester shouted, “Mr Carney, there is a genocide happening in Palestine.” Carney replied, “Thank you… I’m aware. Which is why we have an arms embargo.”
Carney later explained that due to the noise at the rally, held ahead of Canada’s 28 April election, he only caught part of what the protester shouted. “You hear snippets of what people say and I heard Gaza,” he said. “My point was I’m aware of the situation in Gaza.”
In March 2024, Ottawa announced it would halt all future arms exports to Israel. The decision was part of a broader parliamentary motion calling on the international community to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, consistent with Canada’s long-standing policy. Previously, in September 2023, Canada had already suspended around 30 arms export permits to Israel.
Carney, formerly the governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, became leader of the Liberal Party and was sworn in as prime minister in March 2024. He succeeded Justin Trudeau, who had served since 2015.
READ: Majority of Canadians support continued arms ban on Israel, arrest warrant for Netanyahu: Poll