The recent federal leaders’ debate marked a profound missed opportunity for Canada’s political leadership to address two of the most urgent moral and policy crises of our time: the genocide unfolding in Gaza, and the alarming rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in Canada. CMPAC offers the following analysis of how these issues were treated – or neglected – on the debate stage.

1. Superficial and Unbalanced Framing of the Gaza Crisis

While the war in Gaza was briefly mentioned in the debate’s final segment, the discussion lacked moral clarity and failed to reflect international legal and humanitarian realities. Both Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet focused almost exclusively on condemning Hamas and Iran, offering no meaningful acknowledgment of the staggering Palestinian civilian death toll or of Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment and blockade.

Mr. Poilievre’s remarks reflected a broader political pattern that centers Israel’s security while erasing Palestinian suffering. His call to “condemn Hamas” and “defeat the terrorists” was paired with a call for Canadians to “leave foreign conflicts behind” – a framing that reinforces anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic tropes and casts advocacy for Palestinian rights as dangerous or divisive.

Blanchet’s comments, while expressing some concern for civilians in Gaza, were still anchored in a call to “destroy Hamas,” with no recognition of the scale of humanitarian catastrophe resulting from Israeli state violence. This type of rhetoric treats all Palestinian resistance as terrorism while legitimizing Israeli aggression. It also ignores mounting international findings — including the International Court of Justice’s conclusion that there is a plausible case of genocide, and Amnesty International’s December 2024 investigation, which unequivocally concludes that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

CMPAC Calls on all federal leaders to:

  • Acknowledge findings by international legal bodies, including the ICJ and UN agencies, on Israel’s violations of international law, including war crimes, and the plausible case of genocide;
  • End one-sided narratives that erase Palestinian suffering and equate Palestinian struggle with terrorism;
  • Support a two-way arms embargo on Israel and targeted sanctions on officials complicit in war crimes;
  • Recognize Palestinian statehood in line with international law and as a necessary step toward a just and lasting peace;
  • Uphold advocacy for Palestinian rights as an essential element of Canada’s democratic landscape, not a threat to national cohesion.

2. Denial and Deflection on Islamophobia and Anti-Palestinian Racism

Poilievre’s assertion that Canada should “get back to the tradition where people leave foreign conflicts behind” is more than political deflection; it is a dangerous dog whistle. It implies that Canadian Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians must leave their identities and values at the door in order to fully participate in political life. This framing erases the personal ties many Canadians have to global crises, particularly when Canada is complicit, and delegitimizes diaspora advocacy. 

Further, by linking concern for Palestine to “rampaging riots targeting Jewish communities,” Mr. Poilievre conflated peaceful protest with hate crimes. This misrepresentation risks criminalizing legitimate dissent and stoking anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. Equally troubling was his omission of the documented rise in hate incidents targeting Muslim and Palestinian communities. This silence is revealing. It demonstrates a double standard in how threats to communities are acknowledged and addressed.

Speaking out against genocide is not a deviation from Canadian values – it is a moral imperative, rooted in Canada’s own history of standing up against injustice, from apartheid in South Africa to the Syrian refugee crisis.

CMPAC urges federal leaders to:

  • Publicly name and address the documented rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, particularly amid the live genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
  • Reject false conflations between criticism of Israeli policies and antisemitism;
  • Protect the rights of Canadian Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians to protest and organize without surveillance, repression, or stigmatization;

Integrate anti-Palestinian racism into Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy through consultation, policy recognition, and dedicated action.

3. Failing to Name a Genocide

In the face of mounting evidence and legal findings, most federal leaders failed to name the genocide in Gaza. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was the exception, stating: “It’s become a genocide. It’s important to call things out as they are.” His statement was a rare instance of moral clarity, aligned with growing international consensus.

The ICJ has ruled that a plausible case of genocide exists. The International Criminal Court is pursuing arrest warrants. Leading organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, have concluded that Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Prominent Jewish organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Independent Jewish Voices agree. UN experts and legal scholars have concluded that Israel is deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, an act that constitutes both a war crime and an act of genocide under international law.

Mr. Carney’s response exemplified the broader failure of political leadership. During the French-language debate, when Singh challenged him to name the genocide, Carney replied: “I never use that word in a political way to politicize the situation.” But genocide is not a political slogan; it is a legal and a moral reality. Refusing to name it, despite the evidence, is not neutrality; it is complicity through omission.

Mr. Carney’s comment also reveals a troubling double standard. As a former UN envoy and public figure who has previously spoken out against global injustices, including condemning Donald Trump’s calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians, his current silence reflects a calculated reluctance to challenge pro-Israel political interests. This shift undermines the credibility of his leadership and raises serious concerns about his willingness to uphold international law when doing so comes at a political cost.

Pierre Poilievre’s position was even more troubling. He avoided the topic altogether, referring vaguely to “foreign conflicts” and suggesting Canadians should simply move on. This rhetoric not only erases Canada’s direct complicity in the crisis, through arms sales and diplomatic cover, but also sends a dangerous message to racialized and diasporic communities: that their voices and lives do not belong in Canadian political discourse.

CMPAC urges all political leaders to:

  • Publicly recognize the genocide in Gaza and affirm the ICJ’s preliminary ruling;
  • Support the ICC’s investigations and call for accountability for all war crimes;
  • Commit to a rights-based foreign policy that includes arms embargoes, targeted sanctions, and an end to Canadian complicity in mass atrocities.

4. Undermining Lifesaving Aid and Failing to Defend UNRWA

The debate revealed deeply troubling differences in how each leader addressed the question of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Mr. Poilievre, in a dangerous and inflammatory moment, declared his intent to cut international aid, specifically targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides critical services to Palestinian refugees. He accused the agency of facilitating terrorism and insisted that aid should not pass through “multinational bureaucracies and terrorists.” These remarks not only echoed discredited talking points advanced by the Israeli government, but also directly contradicted the assessments of the United Nations and several independent investigations, which found no systemic wrongdoing by UNRWA as an institution. Targeting UNRWA not only spreads misinformation but jeopardizes the delivery of essential aid to over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. 

Mr. Singh offered the strongest rebuttal, calling Mr. Poilievre’s comments “disgusting,” “hateful,” and “inappropriate.” He correctly emphasized that UNRWA is the only international agency with the capacity and infrastructure to deliver aid on the ground in Gaza, especially under current conditions. His defense highlighted the importance of distinguishing between unverified allegations against individuals and the broader mission of a critical humanitarian organization.

Mr. Carney, however, failed to respond directly to Poilievre’s attack on UNRWA. While he reiterated support for humanitarian aid and an immediate ceasefire, he did not name UNRWA or challenge the misinformation advanced by the Conservative leader. This silence, especially from a candidate positioning himself as principled and pragmatic, raises concerns. As UNRWA remains the backbone of Gaza’s humanitarian lifeline, failure to defend its role risks legitimizing the very narratives used to justify collective punishment and starvation of Palestinians.

CMPAC has repeatedly called on the Canadian government to fully reinstate and protect funding to UNRWA and to publicly reject the politicized smear campaign that has sought to dismantle its operations. Canada must affirm that humanitarian aid is not a bargaining chip; it is an obligation under international law. 

CMPAC’s recommendations are clear:

  • Restore and expand Canada’s funding to UNRWA without conditions.
  • Publicly condemn political attacks on humanitarian organizations like UNRWA that serve vulnerable populations.

Ensure all humanitarian funding is conflict-sensitive, locally informed, and aligned with international legal obligations under the Geneva Conventions.

Conclusion: Leadership Begins with Truth & Moral Clarity

The canadian federal leaders’ debate laid bare a troubling reality: a political class more comfortable avoiding accountability than confronting genocide. In a moment that called for moral courage, most leaders chose silence or deflection, revealing just how far our politics have drifted from principles of justice and international law.

Canadians, especially those from Muslim and Palestinian communities, are watching closely. We see the double standards, the racialized narratives, and the failure to speak truth when it matters most. CMPAC will continue to advocate for a foreign policy grounded in international law, and for real protections against anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia here at home. We urge our communities to stay informed, get involved, and vote with principle. Our voices matter and it’s time they are heard. Visit MuslimsVote.ca for tools and info to help you vote.