Canada, along with its allies, issued statements and stern warnings to Israel over the Victoria Day long weekend, eliciting swift responses and raising some eyebrows about the direction and posture of the new government under Prime Minister Mark Carney when it comes to Israel.
Global Affairs Canada, along with the governments of France and the United Kingdom, denounced Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza and threatened to impose targeted sanctions if the situation continues, according to a statement released May 19. “The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Yesterday’s announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate.”
While calling on the Israelis to halt military operations, the trio called for re-engagement with the UN, and on Hamas “to release immediately the remaining hostages they have so cruelly held since 7 October 2023.” That statement also condemned what they called “abhorrent language by Israeli government members,” suggesting displacement of civilians.
The three countries threatened Israel with “concrete actions” if it does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, declaring opposition to any attempts to expand West Bank settlements, and stating that they will not hesitate to take further action, “including targeted sanctions.”
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the trio is asking Israel “to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.”
Netanyahu added that “the war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t. This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
The three governments reportedly won praise from Hamas for their position, the latter calling Israel’s actions “fascism, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.” But the trio did acknowledge that Israel “suffered a heinous attack on October 7” and declared support for “Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism.”
The same day, a statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza signed by foreign ministers of 22 countries, including Canada, acknowledged that Israel was resuming a limited restart of aid, but said “Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months” exhausting food, medicines and essential supplies.
“Prior to the aid block, the UN and humanitarian NGOs delivered aid into Gaza, working with great courage, at the risk of their lives and in the face of major access challenges imposed by Israel.
“As humanitarian donors, we have two straightforward messages for the Government of Israel: allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organizations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.” The countries also called for Hamas to release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference.
The response from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) was swift: interim president Noah Shack noting “The fact that Hamas has reportedly applauded the statement issued by Canada, the U.K., and France speaks volumes about its misguided premise. If Israel were to cease targeting Hamas, hostages would remain chained in tunnels and Hamas would repeat the October 7 massacre – as it has explicitly vowed. If Hamas were to release the hostages and cease targeting Israel, this war will come to an end. That is why thousands of Gazans are in the streets today bravely protesting Hamas rule.”
CIJA acknowledged that just a day earlier Carney affirmed Hamas must lay down its weapons and have no future role in governing Gaza, but Shack maintained the trio’s missive “undermines that position and gives Hamas incentive to continue rejecting a negotiated agreement.”
A clear denunciation of Hamas was a quick pivot from the first public utterances of Canada’s new foreign minister Anita Anand, who when asked about the food aid issue a week prior, suggested Israel is using “food as a political tool,” declaring “over 50,000 people have died as a result of the aggression caused against the Palestinian and the Gazan people in Palestine.” Her comments, which many Canadian Jews viewed as tone deaf, made no mention of Hamas, which killed and kidnapped Canadians in Israel, or Israel’s multi-front war.
Mount-Royal MP Anthony Housefather is Anand’s former parliamentary secretary, and told The CJN that after her initial statement, he had “excellent conversations” with Anand, noting her subsequent comments “all demanded the return of the hostages and made clear that Hamas must lay down arms and have no role in the future of Gaza.”
Pressed if he thinks Anand’s comments were a misstep, Housefather, who in the last parliament also served as special advisor on Jewish community relations and antisemitism to former prime minister Justin Trudeau, would only say he has started a dialogue with the Prime Minister’s Office about the most recent statement, “and will continue to reinforce the importance of moving forward with bubble legislation as quickly as possible to ensure that Jewish Canadians and all Canadians can feel safer in our schools, places of worship and community spaces.”
In response to the three countries’ urging increased aid while threatening concrete actions on Israel, Gerald Steinberg, director of the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, countered that “Billions in taxpayer-funded aid from these nations was used to build the massive terror infrastructure that enabled October 7. Their erasure of the heinous reality of October 7 allows Hamas and its allies to recover and repeat the indiscriminate targeting of Israeli civilians. To be taken seriously, these governments will need to provide realistic solutions for preventing the diversion of aid to groups like Hamas.”
The Jewish Community Council of Montreal’s Rabbi Saul Emanuel also expressed concern, saying Carney needs reminding “that international declarations carry consequences here at home.” The rise in hostility and antisemitic hate crimes since Oct. 7, 2023, has been “sharp, visible, and traumatic—and it has been fueled, in part, by political rhetoric that lacks moral clarity. Statements that appear to isolate or condemn Israel without unequivocally affirming its right to self-defence against a genocidal terrorist group do not exist in a diplomatic vacuum. They are read, amplified, and weaponized by those who seek to justify violence and hatred against Jews in Canada.”
When the government speaks about this conflict says Emanuel, “it is not only addressing events in the Middle East—it is shaping the climate for Jews in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and beyond. We urge Prime Minister Carney to speak with extreme caution and responsibility. This is not merely foreign policy—it is a matter of domestic security.”
The trio of nations also threw their support behind American, Qatari and Egyptian efforts to secure a ceasefire and a long-term political solution including a two-state solution. “We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel and the United States to finalize consensus on arrangements for Gaza’s future, building on the Arab plan. We affirm the important role of the High-level Two-State Solution Conference at the UN in June in building international consensus around this aim. And we are committed to recognizing a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end.”
The two statements were, however, welcomed by JSpace Canada, described as a pro-Israel, pro-peace Jewish Zionist organization, championing a two-state solution. “As both statements make clear, Canada’s staunch support for Israel must go hand in hand with a shared commitment to democratic values and international law. The Israeli government’s current actions are deepening the humanitarian crisis, endangering hostages, and further eroding the prospects for peace and long-term regional stability.”
Rather than advancing total victory, they say the offensive threatens to prolong the conflict and deepen Israel’s international isolation. While they acknowledge steps have been taken to allow some humanitarian aid into Gaza, they insist preventing further humanitarian catastrophe “requires a large-scale, internationally coordinated, and protected aid delivery mechanism.”
