Carney catches heat for false claims about Israeli arms embargo, Gaza 'genocide'
"His comments contradict Canada's position on this issue," a senior Israeli official said of Carney's comments
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OTTAWA — “I didn’t hear.”
That was Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s response Wednesday while walking back comments he made during a Tuesday evening rally where he falsely claimed Canada has an arms embargo with Israel, purportedly declaring Israel’s defence against Palestinian terrorism as ‘genocide.’
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The controversy began with a heckler during Carney’s rally Tuesday in Calgary, who shouted that a “genocide” was happening in Palestine.
“Thank you, Diana,” Carney said to what sounded like a male heckler.
“I’m aware, it’s why we have an arms embargo.”
Carney was then drowned out by attendees chanting his name.
When asked about his remarks on Wednesday, Carney insisted he didn’t hear what the heckler had said.
“You were there, I guess — It was noisy, you get… if you’re up there, you hear snippets of what people say,” he said during his Wednesday afternoon press conference.
“I heard ‘Gaza’ and that, my point was that I’m aware of the situation in Gaza.”
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Carney didn’t retract his “arms embargo” comment, but explained Canada had cancelled a number of permits allowing arms exports to Israel, with exceptions to those maintaining Israel’s Iron Dome terrorist projectile defence system.
“Look,…I didn’t hear, (I) was stating a fact in terms of the, arms restrictions,” Carney concluded.
Carney’s comments Tuesday bring Canada’s Israel policy in a whole new universe than under his predecessor Justin Trudeau, who long maintained that Israel had a right to defend itself, and eschewed allegations that Israel’s self-defence in Gaza doesn’t constitute a so-called “genocide.”
Carney’s comments outraged Israeli and Jewish-Canadian groups.
In a conversation with TheToronto Sun, a senior Israeli government official described Carney’s comments as “unfortunate” and said they put Canada’s Israel policy into uncharted territory.
“His comments contradict Canada’s position on this issue,” the official said.
“There is no embargo, just a suspension of a limited number of permits, and, of course, I don’t think Canada believes that there’s any sort of genocide.”
The Sun reached out to the Carney campaign for comment.
Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy with B’nai Brith Canada, told the Sun that Carney’s comments were a “shameful endorsement” of the counter-factual rhetoric feeding Canada’s explosion in antisemitism since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Rather than responding to and giving credence to the virulent minority that is dividing our society and corrupting the fabric of our nation, Canadian leaders must stand up to those who are spreading misinformation, and inciting hate and division,” he said.
“Our leaders must acknowledge and take immediate action to confront this horrifying new baseline of antisemitism. Anything less is insufficient and would serve only to embolden the radical elements of our society. “
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