Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday condemned the terrorist attack at the Ramot junction in Jerusalem, in which six Israelis were murdered, while vowing to work in the international arena to bring about peace in the Middle East.
“Canadians extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, and we are keeping the people of Israel in our thoughts,” Carney stated in a post on X.
“Together with our partners and allies, we will keep working with urgency and determination in support of lasting peace and security for the region,” he added.
Carney recently announced that his government intends to recognize the “State of Palestine” in September, provided the PA meets specific conditions tied to governance and security.
B'nai Brith Canada and a coalition of multicultural leaders later wrote a letter to Carney sounding the alarm over the move. The letter warned that such a move “could embarrass Canada, compound the crisis in the Middle East, and further push Israelis and Palestinians away from establishing a two-state solution.”
Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, was shown during the recent election campaign at a rally in Calgary, where he responded to a protester in the crowd who yelled, “Mr. Carney, there is a genocide happening in Palestine,” by pausing and saying, “Thank you…I’m aware. Which is why we have an arms embargo.”
Carney was later asked by reporters about the remark and walked it back, claiming that he had not heard the specific term “genocide” and was simply referencing existing arms restrictions imposed by the Canadian government.
“I didn’t hear that word,” Carney said. “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.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired back at Carney, saying, “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 statement!”