Israel has called on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to withdraw his commitment to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit Canada.
The appeal came after Carney, in an interview with Bloomberg last week, reaffirmed his intention to uphold the pledge made by his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to honour the ICC’s warrant. When asked directly whether he would order Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader entered Canada, Carney replied, “Yes.”
In response, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian urged Carney to “reconsider” his stance, describing Netanyahu as “the leader of the only Jewish state and democratic country in the Middle East.” “We believe that Prime Minister Carney should, of course, reconsider this and welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to Canada,” Bedrosian told reporters.
The ICC issued arrest warrants last year for Netanyahu on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Israel has firmly rejected the court’s jurisdiction, maintaining that its military operations comply with international law and that accusations of war crimes are unfounded.
Tensions between the two countries have deepened following Canada’s recent decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state — a move Israel denounced as a “prize for terrorism.” Bedrosian said the recognition had “poured fuel on an antisemitic fire in Canada,” further straining diplomatic relations.
While Canada has long been an ally of Israel, Carney’s statements mark a potential shift in Ottawa’s approach to Middle East diplomacy, signalling stronger alignment with international judicial mechanisms and a growing willingness to take a critical stance on Israeli actions in Gaza.
Melissa Enoch
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