Latest news with #CanadianDelegation
CBC
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Israeli ambassador suggests diplomats in West Bank led astray to provoke IDF
Israel's ambassador to Canada suggests that there might have been a deliberate effort to provoke Israeli soldiers before they fired warning shots in the vicinity of a diplomatic delegation — which included Canadians — in the West Bank on Wednesday. Four members of a Canadian delegation were part of a tour in the city of Jenin when members of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) fired warning shots in the area. Two are Canadian citizens, including Ottawa's top diplomat in the West Bank, and two are locally hired staff. No one was injured during the incident. Israel's Ambassador Iddo Moed suggested during an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics that the diplomats may have been led astray to intentionally try to provoke the IDF soldiers. "They went into the soldiers. There was nothing to see. There was a barrier, a very clear barrier. So what was the idea to walk into that barrier unless you want to try and provoke something," Moed told guest-host Peter Armstrong, referencing to videos of the incident "Maybe they were led there. I don't know, I don't want to speculate." WATCH | Israeli ambassador discusses West Bank incident: Israeli PM tells Canada, France, U.K. 'you're on the wrong side of history' 2 hours ago Duration 13:02 Israel's Prime Minister is calling out the leaders of Canada, France and U.K. after they released a joint statement threatening sanctions against Israel if it does not stop its renewed military offensive in Gaza. Washington police are also laying charges against the man accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers last night. Plus, Canada is demanding answers after IDF soldiers shot near a diplomatic delegation that included four Canadians in Jenin, West Bank. Israel's ambassador to Canada joins Power & Politics. A video of the incident circulating online shows members of the tour group speaking to cameras near a large yellow gate. Gunshots can be heard as the group hurries away from the gate and goes around a street corner. In one video, two soldiers can be seen pointing guns in the direction of the group. The IDF said Wednesday that an initial investigation into the incident revealed that the delegation had deviated from an approved route and soldiers fired warning shots to get the delegation to move. The Palestinian Authority said the incident took place near the gate of a refugee camp after the delegation encountered another barrier at a different entrance. When pressed about the suggestion that the tour might have provoked Israeli soldiers, Moed again referred to videos of the incident. "You can see they really made an effort to confront the soldiers," Moed said. The ambassador added that there will be an investigation and that the government will take responsibility if any wrongdoing is uncovered. WATCH | Prime Minister Carney reacts to IDF firing shots near Canadian diplomats: Prime Minister Carney reacts to IDF firing shots near Canadian diplomats 24 hours ago Duration 0:29 Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Israeli ambassador has been summoned to Global Affairs Canada over the IDF firing shots near a diplomatic delegation that included Canadians in the West Bank on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Carney says he expects a full investigation and explanation and calls the incident 'totally unacceptable.' Prime Minister Mark Carney called for a full investigation into the incident on Wednesday evening. "We expect a full investigation and we expect an immediate explanation of what happened. It's totally unacceptable," Carney said during a news conference. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand issued a summons to Moed on Wednesday so that the government could relay Canada's "serious concerns." The foreign ministers of France and Italy also issued summons to their respective Israeli ambassadors regarding the incident. But Moed suggested that the formal summons was unnecessary because the Israeli government has been forthcoming with those countries about what happened. "We have taken responsibility for the investigation, for dealing with the diplomats and with governments that want to have that information. But there is no need to formally request [that information] as if things like that are not happening naturally," Moed said. A senior Canadian government official told CBC news that members of the Canadian delegation were shaken up by the incident and were being offered support from Global Affairs Canada. Netanyahu calls out Carney, other leaders Wednesday's incident comes at a tense moment in Canadian-Israeli relations. Earlier this week, Carney joined British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in threatening to impose sanctions on Israel in response to its "denial of essential humanitarian assistance" in Gaza. In a video statement released Thursday condemning Wednesday's shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, President Benjamin Netanyahu called out Carney, Starmer and Macron for their Gaza statement, accusing them of "emboldening Hamas."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Totally unacceptable' that IDF fired shots near Canadians, Carney says
Prime Minister Mark Carney says it's "totally unacceptable" that members of the Israeli army fired shots near a diplomatic delegation, which included Canadians, in the West Bank on Wednesday. The federal government confirmed Wednesday that four members of a Canadian delegation were part of a tour in the city of Jenin when members of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) fired in their vicinity. Two were Canadians and two were local staff, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's office said. "We expect a full investigation and we expect an immediate explanation of what happened. It's totally unacceptable, it's some of many things that are totally unacceptable that's going on in the region," Carney said during a news conference in Ottawa. WATCH | Prime Minister Carney reacts to IDF firing shots near Canadian diplomats: Anand said earlier that she will be summoning the Israeli ambassador to relay Canada's "serious concerns." "Relieved to know our team is safe," Anand wrote after speaking with Canada's head of mission in Ramallah. "I have asked my officials to summon Israel's ambassador to convey Canada's serious concerns. We expect a full investigation and accountability." Video of the incident, shot by the Agence France-Presse news agency, shows members of the delegation being pulled away by security as gun shots are heard in the background. In a statement the IDF said the tour group, which also included representatives from other countries, "deviated" from the approved route and soldiers fired warning shots to get the delegation to move. The IDF said it "regrets the inconvenience." Anand joins other foreign ministers condemning the incident. The situation is "unheard of," said Jon Allen, a former Canadian ambassador to Israel. "The fact that you had a group of diplomats who were not properly protected by the IDF or other security forces while they were in the West Bank… is unconscionable," Allen told CBC News Network's Power & Politics. WATCH | Wider implications of Netanyahu's vow: Earlier this week, Carney joined British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in threatening to impose sanctions on Israel in response to its "denial of essential humanitarian assistance" in Gaza. "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable," said the three leaders in a statement. "If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response." They also said they opposed "any attempt" to expand Israeli settlement in the West Bank — this after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would control Gaza despite mounting international pressure to lift a blockade on aid supplies that left the enclave on the brink of famine. Netanyahu condemned the joint statement in a social media post and called it "a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7," referring to Hamas's attack against Israel in 2023 which ignited the war in Gaza. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also took aim at Carney's joint statement. WATCH | U.K. suspends free trade talks: "The Hamas terrorists have just thanked Mark Carney for his recent statement on Israel," he posted online Tuesday. "Threatening Israel with sanctions and 'further concrete actions' while a terrorist group on their borders holds their citizens hostage and refuses to stop attacking Israel is wrong." Carney said during his Wednesday news conference that he informed U.S. Vice President JD Vance of the statement when the two met in Rome over the weekend. The U.K. moved first on the threat in the joint statement. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Tuesday the British government is suspending free trade negotiations with Israel and has ordered new sanctions targeting West Bank settlements. Canada and France have not made similar moves at this point. When asked Wednesday for more details on what Canada is preparing to do if Netanyahu's government doesn't change course, Carney offered little detail, saying that the intention of his statement with the U.K. and France was "clear." Thomas Juneau, an associate professor of political science at the University of Ottawa, says even if the three countries follow through on the sanctions, they would do little to deter Netanyahu's government. "There is only one international actor that could really have an impact on Israel's decision making calculus and that's the U.S.," Juneau told Power & Politics. "France and the U.K. are not negligible as international actors, they can have a bit of an influence — Canada, even less than them. But fundamentally as long as the U.S. does not put significant pressure on Israel to change course… then I don't think we're going to see a significant shift in Israel's actions. In a dire warning this week, the United Nations said 14,000 babies are at risk of acute malnutrition if food stationed at the border is not allowed to reach them in Gaza. According to aid groups, Israel began allowing dozens of humanitarian trucks into Gaza on Wednesday. Workers initially raised concerns that the trucks have not been able to bring food and supplies to distribution points and to Palestinians in need. A UN official later told The Associated Press that more than a dozen trucks that left the crossing area arrived at warehouses in central Gaza on Wednesday night. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.L. seafood producer hopeful for new markets at world's largest trade event in Spain
The world's largest seafood expo is drawing to a close in Barcelona, and one Newfoundland and Labrador seafood producer is optimistic he'll walk away with new customers. Labrador Gem Seafoods president Danny Dumaresque is working the floor at the Global Seafood Marketplace. He says the expo has gotten off to a strong start. "It's a busy spot, you know. We were hoping for solid traffic here and I must admit it's been quite good," Dumaresque told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. "We've had a robust day here with lots of people dropping by with enthusiasm about Canadian seafood." Dumaresque says the expo has five venues filled with companies from across Europe, Asia and the U.S. "Canada has a prominent presence here," he said. "It's a major event for the Canadian delegation." The Newfoundland and Labrador government also has a booth there. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dumaresque says he sold scallops to a French buyer, but then the supply chain was disrupted. He says he was recently able to renew that relationship. Dumaresque says he had his eye on this event since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. The expanding global trade war kicked off soon after. While Canadian seafood was not tariffed, uncertainty was felt throughout the sector for months. Dumaresque says Trump's second term is going to impact how people do business, and people are looking for stability outside of the U.S. market. "He's going to be as unpredictable tomorrow as he was yesterday. And therefore we have to be proactive. We have to get out there and make our new customers happy with our products," he said. "We also have to be prepared to make those contacts last, that we're not going back to where we were." The "America first" policies won't necessarily end after Trump leaves office, Dumaresque added. In response, he says business owners need to renew their relationship with European partners, particularly in France. He said he's also glad to see Prime Minister Mark Carney reach out to established partners in the United Kingdon, France and Germany. Dumaresque says the established relationship with the U.S. is over, and he's optimistic that the European Union will be that new market, given its population of approximately 450 million people. "They understand the high quality seafood that we produce," he said. "People are certainly aware and sensitive to how Canada has been betrayed by the current government in Washington. And they're happy to be there as an ally on the economic side right now."
