(OTTAWA) Three Canadian senators are under fire after visiting Israel and inviting a controversial right-wing politician to Canada.
Senate Speaker George Furey joined Conservative Senate Leader Don Plett and unaffiliated Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson on a trip to Israel this week.
They met with local officials, including Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament, who announced that the senators had invited him to come to Canada.
Mr Ohana has previously sparked controversy by claiming in media interviews that Muslims are prone to a “killing culture”.
The advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East slams the senators for posting about the visit without mentioning human rights concerns, just weeks after Ottawa condemned the government’s shift. Israeli government towards right-wing policies.
Mme LaBoucane-Benson says the trio were unable to meet with Palestinian officials, but called for peace and a de-escalation of recent bouts of violence.