Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly engaged in a heated exchange over Canada’s stance on the Middle East.
Poilievre, known for his sharp critiques of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government, accused Joly of "giving in to Hamas sympathizers in the Liberal Party as part of her leadership campaign rather than doing her job." He criticized her for focusing on replacing Trudeau instead of fulfilling her duties as foreign affairs minister.
Joly responded by demanding an apology, calling his remarks "completely unacceptable" and accusing him of politicizing the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack. "He emphasized division rather than unity," Joly said, adding that Poilievre is "not ready to be prime minister."
Poilievre, who has been a vocal advocate for conservative policies and international security, criticized Joly for failing to condemn antisemitic chants at pro-Palestinian protests. He asked, "Will the government clearly condemn these genocidal chants from hateful mobs on our streets?"
He recounted how Jewish Canadians were doubly victimized by the October 7 attack and by antisemitic slogans such as "From Palestine to Lebanon, Israel will soon be gone" heard in protests.
Joly stated that she opposed antisemitism in all forms but reiterated her demand for an apology. She also read a statement listing the names of Canadian victims of the attack and pledged to stand with Jewish Canadians.
When Poilievre repeated his demand for the government to condemn antisemitic chants, Justice Minister Arif Virani responded, urging Canadians to "stand up" against hatred, especially in support of Jewish communities. Poilievre, unsatisfied, accused Joly of pandering to Hamas supporters and asked her to publicly support Israel’s right to strike Iranian and Hezbollah targets.
He specifically advocated for Israel's right to defend itself, including "proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations to defund the terrorist regime." This comes after last week’s Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel.
Federal government distancing itself from Poilievre
The federal government has maintained a different stance. Defence Minister Bill Blair stated that while Israel has the right to defend itself, the Canadian government does not endorse striking Iranian oil or nuclear sites.
Blair specified that only missile launch sites and military installations should be targeted in self-defense, diverging from Poilievre’s position and US President Joe Biden’s warning to Israel against striking Iranian oil facilities. Biden suggested Israel consider alternatives, advising against escalation involving Iran’s oil and nuclear infrastructure.
This debate follows Iran's firing of 181 ballistic missiles at Israel last week in retaliation for Israel’s targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Both groups are supported by Iran.
The tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated since the October 7 attack by Hamas, which left 1,200 dead and 250 taken hostage, 100 of whom are still held captive. Since the attack, war has continued in Gaza, except for a brief ceasefire in November.