Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed regional conflicts and rising antisemitism during a phone call on Monday, according to statements released by both governments.
Herzog during the call reiterated that Jerusalem was combating terrorism “in accordance with international law and in coordination with regional and international partners,” according to a readout from Jerusalem published on Tuesday.
The head of state “expressed his condemnation of the pro-Hamas flotilla, which directly aimed to undermine U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803 and its next phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of a new government in Gaza,” his office said.
Twelve Canadians were on board the Global Sumud (“Steadfastness”) Flotilla bound for Gaza that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters last week.
The two leaders were said to have agreed that the Iranian regime poses a regional and global threat and must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Herzog stressed that while the Jewish state remains “committed to talks that lead to a future of peace with Lebanon, it cannot accept the repeated attacks on Israel by Hezbollah, Iran’s terror proxy in Lebanon, and will continue to defend itself from this threat.”
Hezbollah began firing rockets and suicide drones at Israel on March 2, in retaliation for the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.
During the call, Herzog also expressed deep concerns over rising antisemitic violence in Canada, including repeated attacks on synagogues, schools and Jewish-owned businesses.
The president urged Carney and his government to address “growing fear and sense of abandonment” within Canada’s Jewish community. He called on Ottawa to draw lessons from recent incidents of antisemitic violence across the world and to work closely with Jewish communities to combat Jew-hatred “before it’s too late.”
The two leaders discussed the “current challenges” facing bilateral ties, “and the importance of increasing engagement, including in the fields of trade, technology and climate change, to reinvigorate longstanding relations,” the readout added.
According to Carney’s office, the Canadian leader “reiterated that the appalling treatment of civilians, including Canadian citizens, aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable, and he called for an independent investigation.”
During the conversation, Carney expressed Ottawa’s support for the Jewish state’s security and right to self‑defense in accordance with international law, per his readout.
The prime minister stressed Canada’s “unwavering support” for a negotiated two-state solution aimed at establishing an “independent, viable and sovereign State of Palestine.”
“The leaders discussed the devastating resurgence of antisemitism around the world,” Carney’s office stated. “The Prime Minister outlined Canada’s work through legislation and community safety funding to counter hate, to confront antisemitism with the full force of the law, and to protect Jewish communities.”
