Mark Carney, the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, is the country's Prime Minister-designate to succeed Justin Trudeau in the role. While vowing to fight Trump’s tariffs, Canada’s Jewish community is not convinced that he will keep the same vow to fighting antisemitism - nor is his stance on Israel very promising in the diaspora.
Carney was a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England and has never previously held an elected role in office. He garnered 85.9% of the vote amid a four-person race and beat out the ruling party following Trudeau’s departure after nine years.
Though Carney will take office immediately, he will face Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, in national elections expected in October. Poilievre has called Canadian Jews “the true Indigenous people” and has even hitchhiked through Israel in his youth, according to The Forward. However, following backlash against Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, Poilievre’s party’s support has narrowed.
More than 335,000 Jews live in Canada, accounting for 0.9% of the country's population. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Canada’s Jewish population has faced a new level of antisemitic attacks. Between firebombs and gunshots at synagogues, antisemitic graffiti, and continued anti-Israel protests, the country has faced an antisemitic power surge. Trudeau has previously criticized the IDF’s Gaza response, has backed UN resolutions against West Bank Israeli settlements, and said he’d enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Uncertainty surrounding Canadian-Israeli relations under Carney
Even though Jewish leaders nationwide were supportive of Trudeau’s departure, they did not necessarily think it would be better for Canada-Israel relations under Carney.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks after winning the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/BLAIR GABLE)
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks after winning the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/BLAIR GABLE)
Carney met with Netanyahu in 2012 when he visited Israel, according to the Forward report. Since then, it’s been mixed signals despite condemning antisemitic attacks and calling for stronger enforcement on hate speech. Mistakes in political debates and appearances in social media postings from pro-Palestinian student groups. Social media postings from the Conservative mayor of Hampstead, Jeremy Levi, accuse Carney of being silent in recent statements on Israel and antisemitism. On Instagram, Levi wrote, “Silence speaks volumes, and his silence is deafening.”
On the other end, he was cited with a low grade on Palestinian rights by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, on the basis that he did not have clear positions on the matter.
In Carney’s commentary on antisemitism, he’s both attended Holocaust memorial events and stated, “Never Again is more than a phrase—it must be a promise.” While balancing public support for Israel’s right to defend itself and the removal of Hamas, he has also supported the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Carney mistakenly said he “was in agreement with Hamas” in answering a question on the governance of post-war Gaza. Though he quickly corrected himself, his chief rival had already interjected and said their party did not support Hamas, leading him to correct himself to say that he supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state without the involvement of the terror organization.
Last month on social media, Carney posted, “I support the hard work of reaching a two-state solution, with a viable and free Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the state of Israel.” His critics still describe his response as bland.
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Though many say he is not doing enough or speaking up, he was still one of 50 leaders and clergy who signed an open letter calling for the enforcement of the law at pro-Palestinian protests, pushing for identification of hate speech.
His October 7 social media response quoted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel: “I learned the perils of language and those of silence. I learned that in extreme situations where human lives and dignity are at stake, neutrality is a sin.” Will his role as prime minister take this to heart?