Even though he had avoided for several days taking a position on the merits of a ceasefire in Gaza, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre finally revealed in a podcast that he is opposed to an international resolution at this time. meaning endorsed by Canada last week.
“This resolution at the United Nations [ONU], for example, which Justin Trudeau supported after changing his mind, goes further than a cease-fire. It actually says that Israel should accept that Hamas keeps the hostages,” said the leader of the official opposition in an episode of Full Comment Podcastproduced by the daily National Post and broadcast on Monday.
Pierre Poilievre spoke one-on-one with conservative commentator Rex Murphy for a 28-minute end-of-year interview, in which no journalists took part. He had until now carefully avoided answering questions from the parliamentary press about the request for a ceasefire in Gaza, a position recently adopted by Canada after two months of procrastination.
“I have no problem supporting a Palestinian cause that would be favorable to the Palestinian people,” said Mr. Poilievre in English. But right now, what we are seeing is an agenda that is not pro-Palestinian. It’s pro-Hamas, and Hamas is, in my opinion, an anti-Palestinian force [et] a genocidal death cult.”
Although he asserts that “no one is against the end of the fighting”, he is of the opinion that “anyone with a head on his shoulders” must agree that the disarmament and abdication of Hamas, just like “the unconditional liberation of hostages,” is a prerequisite for peace. “ [Ce que la résolution de l’ONU demande] is an unconditional ceasefire which makes no mention of releasing the hostages,” argues Pierre Poilievre. He reiterates that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Last Tuesday, the Trudeau government voted with 152 countries before the United Nations General Assembly for a non-binding motion demanding “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” The resolution does not mention Hamas, but does call for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”.
The federal government published an article explanatory of its decision, which emphasizes the condemnation of Hamas and which highlights its demand for the immediate release of the hostages. Aside from the Conservative Party of Canada, all parties in Ottawa had already lined up behind the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza, including several Liberal MPs.
When asked about this, the Conservative leader’s office sent a statement that did not mention a position on the ceasefire in Gaza. The government of Quebec, for its part, spoke out against the Canadian position, stipulating that “the hostages must be released so that a ceasefire can be considered.”
Pierre Poilievre has not appeared before journalists since a press briefing in Toronto on November 23, and has not responded to interview requests from the Duty.