Asked to clarify if he sees genocide in Gaza, Carney says he 'didn't hear that word'

Peter Zimonjic · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 3:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

Liberal Leader Mark Carney clarified a remark helium made connected Tuesday suggesting helium agreed with the allegation that Israel's subject enactment successful Gaza qualifies arsenic a genocide.

While astatine a rally successful Calgary, someone successful the assemblage — who did not look connected camera — shouted: "Mr. Carney, there's a genocide successful Palestine!" arsenic the Liberal person was getting settled connected the stage. 

Carney replied: "I'm aware. That's wherefore we person an arms embargo," earlier Liberal supporters drowned retired the questioner by chanting the Liberal leader's name.

Asked the pursuing time to supply clarity connected his response, Carney said helium did not perceive the connection "genocide" and was conscionable "stating a information successful presumption of the arms restrictions."

"I didn't perceive that word," Carney said astatine a run halt successful Calgary connected Wednesday wherever helium announced his vigor plan. 

"It's noisy. If you're up determination you perceive snippets of what radical accidental and I heard Gaza, and my constituent was I'm alert of the concern successful Gaza," helium said.

"Canada does … person restrictions, astir apt from January 2024, connected arms exports, oregon permits for arms exports to Israel with the sole objection of the Iron Dome which protects them much broadly."

Canada, Israel and arms sales

Israel's subject cognition began aft the Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israeli communities connected Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 radical and captured much than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. 

Since then, Israel has reduced overmuch of Gaza to ruins and killed much than 50,000 Palestinians successful its effort to decimate Hamas, according to the enclave's wellness authorities.

Watch | Carney clarifies Gaza comments during caller rally: 

The national authorities lists Hamas arsenic a violent organization. 

Since Israel's subject enactment successful Gaza began, the Canada's Liberal authorities has been nether unit to halt arms exports to Israel.

In January 2024, the national authorities began to instrumentality enactment by halting the support of each caller subject export permits to the country.

In March, the Liberals joined the NDP to walk a question to halt authorizing "arms exports to Israel to guarantee compliance with Canada's arms export authorities and summation efforts to halt the amerciable commercialized of arms, including to Hamas."

After concerns emerged that subject instrumentality whitethorn inactive beryllium flowing from Canada to Israel nether antecedently approved permits, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly asked officials to look into whether arms were inactive being sent to the country. 

"Following that, I suspended, this summer, astir 30 existing permits of Canadian companies and we are asking questions to these companies," Joly said past fall.