B’nai Brith Canada and a coalition of multicultural leaders denounce Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, warning it risks Canada’s credibility and Middle East stability.
A political firestorm is raging in Ottawa after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his intent to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. On Wednesday, B’nai Brith Canada, joined by a coalition of multicultural leaders, released a searing open letter branding Carney’s plan as reckless, dangerous, and undemocratic.
The letter warns that recognition would not only “embarrass Canada on the world stage” but also undermine peace efforts in the Middle East, pushing Israelis and Palestinians further from a genuine two-state solution.
The authors accuse Carney of bypassing democratic debate by making the decision while Parliament is not in session. “It is an affront to our democracy to have such a significant decision made unilaterally,” the letter declares, stressing that Canadians deserve parliamentary scrutiny before such a dramatic foreign policy shift.
A central theme of the criticism is Carney’s reliance on Palestinian Authority (PA) promises of reform and demilitarization. The letter calls this faith dangerously naïve, describing the PA as an authoritarian entity that “sponsors terrorism, incites hatred, and silences dissent.” It blasts Carney for basing state recognition on assurances from Mahmoud Abbas, whom the signatories call a “notorious Holocaust denier” who has ruled without a democratic mandate for nearly two decades.
“It is folly to believe that a failed state can re-invent itself into a legitimate democratic actor,” the coalition writes, warning that granting recognition now would be nothing more than a “pragmatic gesture” that rewards dysfunction. Instead, they urge Canada to delay recognition until Palestinians establish stable and democratic leadership capable of fulfilling international commitments.
Carney’s recent comments have only deepened the controversy. During a campaign rally in Calgary, he appeared to acknowledge a protester’s claim of “genocide” in Gaza, thanking them and citing Canada’s arms embargo. He later backtracked, claiming he hadn’t heard the word “genocide” and was simply referencing the humanitarian crisis.
The backlash has been swift. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Carney, declaring: “Canada has always sided with civilization. So should Mr. Carney. Instead of supporting Israel, a democracy fighting a just war against the barbarians of Hamas, he attacks the one and only Jewish state. Mr. Carney, backtrack your irresponsible statement!”
With Canada now positioned as the largest Western democracy considering recognition of Palestinian statehood, the debate is intensifying — with critics insisting Carney is gambling with both Canadian values and global security.
