Poilievre throws the ball back at Minister Joly by demanding an apology

Photo: Justin Tang The Canadian Press s Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during question period in the House of Commons on Oct. 7, 2024.

Émilie Bergeron – The Canadian Press

Published at 2:13 p.m.

• Canada

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to apologize after she asked for the same from him following a tense exchange over anti-Semitism.

“It’s unbelievable that in Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs doesn’t have the courage to denounce genocidal and hateful remarks directed at our Jewish community,” he said Tuesday during a press scrum in the foyer of the House of Commons.

The day before, Mr. Poilievre had accused the minister of “caving to Hamas sympathizers and the Liberal Party as part of her leadership campaign rather than doing her job.”

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The Conservative leader criticized Ms. Joly, during question period, for not having taken two opportunities he had previously given her to “condemn the terrifying and increasingly common anti-Semitic chants we hear in the streets.”

The minister immediately jumped out of her seat to declare that October 7, the first anniversary of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that kicked off the war in the Middle East, was a poor day to “play politics.”

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« We are all, I hope, in this House, against any form of anti-Semitism and discrimination and I really hope that my colleague opposite will apologize,” she retorted. Her Liberal colleagues then stood up and applauded wildly.

Poilievre then returned to the charge, arguing that Oct. 7 is a day for “a government to stand up for what is right.”

At the end of question period on Monday, House Speaker Greg Fergus asked Poilievre to withdraw his remarks at the earliest opportunity. The Conservative leader was not in the Commons at the time.

The Conservative leader did not say Tuesday whether he intended to withdraw his remarks, but he sent the message that he does not appear inclined to do so.

“I demand that Minister Joly apologize,” he said. He believes that a resurgence of anti-Semitism cannot be attributed to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack. In his opinion, the approach of Justin Trudeau's Liberals is rather to blame.

“It's because of the divisive approach with an extreme ideology imposed by this government,” he said.

Government House leader Karina Gould had deplored Monday that Mr. Poilievre was questioning the Liberals' opposition to anti-Semitism and their condemnation of violence carried out by Hamas.

“It's not excusable to infer that there is a connection to a terrorist group,” said the woman, who is a descendant of Holocaust survivors.