New Delhi:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is a Zionist and believes in the rights of Jewish people. Speaking at the National Forum on Combatting anti-Semitism, he said no one in the country should be afraid to label themselves as such.
“The increasingly common deafening indifference toward or even rationalisation of rising anti-Semitism is not normal. The term Zionist increasingly being tossed around as a pejorative, in spite of the fact that it simply means believing in the right of Jewish people, like all people, to determine their own future, is not normal,” he said.
PM Justin Trudeau says “no one in Canada should ever be afraid to call themselves Zionists, I am a Zionist” pic.twitter.com/zIEa0kvaIk
— 6ixBuzzTV (@6ixbuzztv) March 7, 2025
The Israel Embassy in Canada welcomed Trudeau’s statement in “such dark hours for Jews in Canada and around the world”. “Indeed, the rise of antisemitism is not normal — it is unprecedented. According to Israel’s Diaspora Ministry, there has been a 670% increase in antisemitic incidents in Canada since October 7 — this startling stat should keep us all awake at night,” The Embassy post on social media platform X read.
The Embassy also said that words of solidarity should be accompanied by meaningful steps to combat hate and educate against anti-Semitism.
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Francesca Albanese said that Zionism infringes on Palestinian’s right to self-determination. “Antisemitism, like all racism, is repugnant and must be fought as a legal and moral duty. But opposing it should not mean ignoring the rights of others,” she wrote on X. “No ideology justifies the dispossession of a people or the denial of their right to self-determination. “Canada has legal obligations to support, not obstruct, Palestinian self-determination-failure to do so can have legal consequences under international law. Canadians should be fully aware of this.”
His speech sparked a row on social media, with an X user saying “He might as well declare himself proud of apartheid laws, proud of Israel’s illegal occupation, proud of their genocide.”
Another social media user wrote that this remark in his last days in office will be “his legacy”, while another said “No comment, only nausea”.
Last year, Trudeau had said that Zionism is “not a dirty word”, while calling for a two-state solution to the Israel-Hamas war to ensure “comprehensive, just and lasting peace”.
Trudeau’s statement comes at a time he is set to be replaced as the Liberal Party will elect a leader to replace him. Trudeau, who became Liberal leader in 2013 before taking over as prime minister two years later, announced in early January that he planned to resign, overcome by dismal polling numbers and internal party dissent. The front-runner is Mark Carney, who led the Bank of Canada before becoming the first non-Briton to serve as governor of the Bank of England.