Jewish groups in Canada are calling on the Trudeau government and NDP members to retract and clarify their statements that insinuated Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds.
Immediately after the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health claimed on Tuesday that Israel struck the Al-Ahli Hospital in a targeted attack, Trudeau implied that the report was true when he told reporters, “International humanitarian and international law needs to be respected in this, and in all cases. There are rules around wars and it’s not acceptable to hit a hospital.”
Several other Liberal and NDP politicians likewise spread narrative, including Liberal foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly, Liberal MP François-Philippe Champagne, and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
But contradictory reports quickly surfaced. Images of the hospital appear to suggest it wasn’t bombed or destroyed at all — rather, the parking lot was hit by something.
On Thursday, three Jewish Canadian groups called out these politicians and the media outlets that all ran with the story.
B’nai Brith Canada, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a joint statement “In light of the clear evidence demonstrating that the hospital explosion in Gaza on Oct. 17 was a result of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket (PIJ).”
“Canadian elected officials, the media, and other influencers have a responsibility to verify facts before commenting, particularly during times of war,” the statement read.
The groups’ concluded, “It is a matter of urgency for the Government of Canada to set the record straight.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau backtracked on his insinuation that Israel blew up a Gaza hospital but did not officially retract his previous comments or apologize for amplifying the false narrative.
