Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced criticism Wednesday from Jewish leaders after he made comments that were perceived as overly critical of Israel and its efforts to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
Speaking at an electric vehicle announcement in Maple Ridge, B.C. yesterday, Trudeau said “the world is watching” as Israel pursues its campaign to destroy the group that carried out the deadly Oct. 7 attack.
“We’re hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who’ve lost their parents. The world is witnessing this — the killing of women and children, of babies,” Trudeau said. “This has to stop.
“I have been clear that the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules. All innocent life is equal in worth — Israeli and Palestinian.”
While the prime minister did not explicitly call for a ceasefire, he said the “violence needs to stop urgently” so Palestinians can get access to lifesaving medical services, food, fuel and water.
Trudeau urges Israel to ‘exercise maximum restraint’ in war against Hamas
Featured VideoNov. 14, 2023 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the killing of innocent Palestinians ‘has to stop’ as people stuck in Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital reportedly dig a mass grave on hospital grounds to place decomposing bodies. P&P speaks to the World Health Organization and brings you the latest from our reporter on the ground.
Trudeau also condemned Hamas in his remarks, saying that the militant group “needs to stop using Palestinians as human shields.”
He also urged Hamas, which has called for the destruction of Israel, to release the hostages it captured in its violent incursion.
Canada has been a strong ally of Israel.
The federal Liberal government has resisted pressure to call for a ceasefire in the conflict — pressure that has been coming from the NDP, the Bloc Québécois, Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities and its own backbench MPs.
The government has maintained that Israel has the right to protect itself against a virulently antisemitic and violent group like Hamas.
Canada has acted consistently to support Israel in votes at the United Nations, including a recent vote meant to condemn Israel for permitting Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Canada was one of only seven countries (the others were Hungary, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and the U.S.) to vote against the resolution.
But Trudeau’s comments on Tuesday were interpreted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an unnecessarily strong rebuke of his country’s war effort.
In a social media post that tagged Trudeau, Netanyahu said Israel isn’t the one “deliberately targeting civilians, but Hamas that beheaded, burned and massacred civilians in the worst horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust.
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JustinTrudeau</a> <br><br>It is not Israel that is deliberately targeting civilians but Hamas that beheaded, burned and massacred civilians in the worst horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust. <br><br>While Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm’s way, Hamas is doing…
“While Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm’s way, Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm’s way.”
Nethanyahu said Israel has been providing Palestinian civilians in the embattled territory with humanitarian corridors and safe zones. He alleged Hamas has stopped them from leaving at gunpoint.
“It is Hamas, not Israel, that should be held accountable for committing a double war crime — targeting civilians while hiding behind civilians. The forces of civilization must back Israel in defeating Hamas barbarism,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/AP Photo)
Michael Levitt, a former Liberal MP who now serves as the president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish rights group, said Trudeau’s “reckless accusations against Israel are deeply concerning.”
“His words, which belie the facts on the ground in the war between a fellow democracy and a genocidal terror group, may have been meant to deliver a message overseas but that’s not the only place they landed,” he said in a social media post.
“The scathing remarks also landed here at home, where Jews like me, reeling from weeks of surging antisemitism, got the message loud and clear,”
Levitt said Trudeau’s comments have “the potential to further fan the flames of Jew-hatred that we are facing.”
Reached by phone Wednesday, Levitt said the prime minister’s forceful “tone” was the most problematic aspect of his comments.
“The prime minister’s remarks were delivered sharply and curtly. The accusation of Israel killing women and children, killing babies, it was something that did not properly contextualize how we got here,” Levitt told CBC News.
“Everything that’s happening now, the tragic loss of life that we’ve seen of both innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, is the result of the atrocities committed by the terror group Hamas.”
Former Liberal MP Michael Levitt, who now serves as the president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said he was disappointed in Trudeau’s critique of Israel. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Levitt said Trudeau’s remarks also “crossed the line in terms of moral clarity.”
He said Trudeau should have shown more support for a democratic friend and ally like Israel in a pitched battle with what he called a terrorist group.
Levitt said the prime minister’s comments could “further fuel antisemitism and lashing out at Jews in Canada.”
He said that Trudeau’s past comments condemning an earlier blast at an Anglican hospital In Gaza may have inspired anti-Israel protests. Canada’s intelligence agency now believes a Palestinian group was responsible for the explosion.
As a former MP in Trudeau’s government, Levitt said he’s “disappointed” with how Trudeau carried himself.
He said he knows there are “many members” of the party who feel the same way.
Trudeau’s remarks come as Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital faces an increasingly dire situation, with a lack of water, power and internet service threatening patients, including babies in incubators.
Israel is attempting to coordinate the transfer of special incubators to Al-Shifa to help save the newborns.
The hospital, Gaza’s largest, has become the focus of international alarm because of worsening conditions in the facility. Thousands of patients, medical staff and displaced people have been trapped in the hospital during the Israeli assault on Gaza in the past five weeks.
Wounded Palestinians receive treatment at the al-Shifa hospital, following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. (Abed Khaled/Associated Press)
Israel has defended its activity near Al-Shifa by alleging Hamas is using the facility to conceal a vast underground command complex.
That claim was backed up by the U.S. yesterday.
White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that intelligence has confirmed Hamas has used tunnels underneath Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and hold hostages.
While they caught heat from prominent Jewish Canadians, Trudeau’s remarks were dismissed by a leading Muslim organization as “not enough.”
Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said Trudeau’s forceful condemnation of the deaths of women and children in Gaza is “an important and positive step.”
“But we need to see more. Canada needs to be a leading voice in the international community calling for a ceasefire and also working for a just and lasting peace for the Palestinians,” he said.
Brown said Netanyahu’s angry response to Trudeau’s comments was “callous and uncaring.”
“Quite frankly, it’s ridiculous,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said democracies like Israel should be held to a higher standard in war. (Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images)
The French leader said a democracy like Israel should be held to a higher standard and adhere to international humanitarian law.
While Macron insisted that Israel has the right to protect itself against terrorism, he added there is “no justification” for an attack on civilians.
“There’s babies, there’s ladies, there’s old people bombed and killed,” he said. “There is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we did urge Israel to stop.”
Michael Mostyn, president and CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, said the community is “extremely upset” with how Trudeau framed Israel’s activities in Gaza.
Like Levitt, Mostyn said Trudeau’s “tone” was particularly upsetting to some in the Jewish community.
“The community is very anxious about hate and antisemitism. The tone and demeanour of leaders, that has a real-world impact. We all need to lower the temperature. The last thing we need is the leader of this country to take a tone like that,” Mostyn told CBC News.
He said Trudeau’s statement that “even wars have rules” suggests Israel isn’t adhering to international law.
Mostyn said Israel is trying to be “surgical” in its conflict with Hamas in order to minimize deaths.
“There’s always collateral damage in war. War is a dirty, dirty business, we all know that. Nobody wants to see suffering but this is the situation that we’re in,” he said.
He said Hamas is a terror group that has threatened to repeat what it did on Oct. 7.
“Rape, murder and brutality that shouldn’t even be discussed — there’s no democracy in the world that would stand by and allow that to happen,” he said.
“If Canada’s position is that Israel has the right to defend itself, then you have to allow Israel to defend itself. It’s every democracy’s job to stand by those that are following international laws.”
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
NEW YORK (AP) — When her husband turns on the television to hear news about the upcoming presidential election, that’s often a signal for Lori Johnson Malveaux to leave the room.
It can get to be too much. Often, she’ll go to a TV in another room to watch a movie on the Hallmark Channel or BET. She craves something comforting and entertaining. And in that, she has company.
While about half of Americans say they are following political news “extremely” or “very” closely, about 6 in 10 say they need to limit how much information they consume about the government and politics to avoid feeling overloaded or fatigued, according to a new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts.
Make no mistake: Malveaux plans to vote. She always does. “I just get to the point where I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” she said.
The 54-year-old Democrat said she’s most bothered when she hears people on the news telling her that something she saw with her own eyes — like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — didn’t really happen.
“I feel like I’m being gaslit. That’s the way to put it,” she said.
Sometimes it feels like ‘a bombardment’
Caleb Pack, 23, a Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, who works in IT, tries to keep informed through the news feeds on his phone, which is stocked with a variety of sources, including CNN, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press.
Yet sometimes, Pack says, it seems like a bombardment.
“It’s good to know what’s going on, but both sides are pulling a little bit extreme,” he said. “It just feels like it’s a conversation piece everywhere, and it’s hard to escape it.”
Media fatigue isn’t a new phenomenon. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in late 2019 found roughly two in three Americans felt worn out by the amount of news there is, about the same as in a poll taken in early 2018. During the 2016 presidential campaign, about 6 in 10 people felt overloaded by campaign news.
But it can be particularly acute with news related to politics. The AP-NORC/USAFacts poll found that half of Americans feel a need to limit their consumption of information related to crime or overseas conflicts, while only about 4 in 10 are limiting news about the economy and jobs.
It’s easy to understand, with television outlets like CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC full of political talk and a wide array of political news online, sometimes complicated by disinformation.
“There’s a glut of information,” said Richard Coffin, director of research and advocacy for USAFacts, “and people are having a hard time figuring out what is true or not.”
Women are more likely to feel they need to limit media
In the AP-NORC poll, about 6 in 10 men said they follow news about elections and politics at least “very” closely, compared to about half of women. For all types of news, not just politics, women are more likely than men to report the need to limit their media consumption, the survey found.
White adults are also more likely than Black or Hispanic adults to say they need to limit media consumption on politics, the poll found.
Kaleb Aravzo, 19, a Democrat, gets a baseline of news by listening to National Public Radio in the morning at home in Logan, Utah. Too much politics, particularly when he’s on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, can trigger anxiety and depression.
“If it pops up on my page when I’m on social media,” he said, “I’ll just scroll past it.”
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Sanders reported from Washington. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.
The AP poll of 1,019 adults was conducted July 29-August 8, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
