(Ottawa) It is inappropriate to establish “an equivalence” between Hamas and the elected government of Israel, commented Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in reaction to the request for arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – criticisms that Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, for her part, refrained from making.
“I find it really problematic that there is a suggestion of equivalence between the elected leadership of a democratic country like Israel and the leaders of the murderous terrorist group Hamas,” Justin Trudeau said at a press briefing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. .
The number two in the government, Chrystia Freeland, made comments of the same ilk. “For Canada, it is not correct to make an equivalence between the leaders of a terrorist organization and the leaders of a democracy,” she argued in response to a journalist’s response on Tuesday.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, on the other hand, did not go that far. Because neither in her short opening statement nor in response to journalists’ questions did she suggest that the ICC seemed to put Hamas and the Israeli state on an equal footing.
“It is certain that there is no equivalence,” she however decided during a brief press briefing.
On one side there is a terrorist organization, on the other there is a state. At the same time, the [accusations] which have been filed are different against the two parties.
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly
All, on the other hand, argued that Canada respected the international tribunal and its independence.
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on Monday requested the issuance of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
He attributes to them “deliberate starvation of civilians”, “intentional homicide”, and “extermination and/or murder” in connection with the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, but for distinct reasons, he requested warrants against three senior Hamas officials, namely Ismaïl Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Sinouar.
He accuses them of “extermination”, “rape and other forms of sexual violence” and “hostage-taking as a war crime” linked to the attack on the Islamist movement in Israel on October 7. .
Would Canada stop Netanyahu or Gallant?
As a member state of the ICC, Canada would be required to arrest the targeted individuals if they found themselves on its territory.
Ministers Joly and Freeland did not want to specify whether Ottawa would execute the arrest warrants if they were issued, maintaining that this was a “hypothetical” question.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Chrystia Freeland
“We will respect the process that has begun before the International Criminal Court,” insisted Mélanie Joly.
Freeland’s statement criticized
The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, deplored the lack of Liberal firmness.
“What we must say as a country is yes, we support the decision, and if the Court says that we must have an arrest warrant, that Canada will put it into effect. [œuvre] “, he insisted at a press briefing.
“That is the clarity that we need to have, because if we really want to have a society where we follow the laws, we must guarantee that they apply to everyone,” continued the New Democratic leader.
For her part, France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnesty International Canada francophone, was taken aback by “the very worrying comments” by Chrystia Freeland.
“All states must respect the legitimacy of the ICC and refrain from any attempt to intimidate or pressure it,” she said in a statement.
G7 allies such as France, Germany and Italy also denounced a “false equivalence” in reaction to the announcement by ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan.
The NDP recalls its motion
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all of his ministers supported, on March 18, a New Democratic motion which notably affected current international legal proceedings.
The motion in question provides that the government must “support the work of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court”.
Without being binding, it was still co-written by the New Democrats and the Liberals, whose caucus is divided on the issue.
With Agence France-Presse