Poilievre blames Liberals for rising antisemitism in remarks at Oct. 7 commemoration ceremony

During a ceremony in Ottawa on Monday night marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed the issue of rising antisemitism in Canada.

Trudeau emphasized the need to combat the increasing antisemitism across the country in response to the attack by Hamas militants. He stated, "What makes this barbaric attack that much more agonizing is the fact that you're reliving this nightmare every single day. You relive it when cowards shoot and smash the windows of your schools and synagogues in the middle of the night. You relive it when antisemites wave the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah on the streets of our cities." He stressed the importance of ensuring such behavior is not normalized and called on leaders to take action against the spread of hate. While his remarks were met with applause, the response to Poilievre’s speech was notably more enthusiastic.

Poilievre, in contrast, focused on critiquing the Liberal government, accusing it of fostering the division that has contributed to these outbursts of hatred. He cited the appointment of Birju Dattani as chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and a controversial federal contract involving a consultant accused of posting antisemitic content as examples of the government's failings. Poilievre stated, "It is time for the people to change the government," and promised, if elected, to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and cut funding to universities that allow antisemitism on their campuses. His remarks also criticized what he called "ugly ideology" that has divided Canadians, vowing to restore unity in the country.

Israel's ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, who spoke earlier in the evening, praised Canada as a strong ally of Israel but also questioned some of the Liberal government's recent actions, such as its stance on military exports to Israel and a motion supporting Palestinian statehood. Moed expressed optimism about Canada’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, underscoring the need for collaboration between Canada and Israel to defend shared democratic values.

Earlier in the day, MPs observed a moment of silence in the House of Commons to commemorate the attack, and the House passed a unanimous motion condemning the assault and supporting the victims. The attack, which took place on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, including several Canadians, and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages. Since then, the ongoing conflict in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 41,500 people according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israel Defense Forces reported that 728 of its soldiers had been killed over the past year, while an estimated 100 hostages remain in Gaza.