Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sparked confusion and derision with remarks he made during an interview at the Nato summit on Wednesday in which he said that “a Zionist Palestinian state” was needed to co-exist with Israel.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour asked Carney about his vision for peace in the Middle East, specifically concerning the issue of a Palestinian state, where its indigenous people can live in harmony and peace.
In response, Carney said that “in working on a path to a Palestinian state, living side by side in security with Israel… a Zionist Palestinian state if you will, that recognises the right of Israel to exist, not just to exist, but to prosper. We can’t have peace unless we move towards that.”
Many social media users, as well as non-governmental organisations in Canada, criticised the statement by Carney, which critics said implied that he essentially “wants Palestinians to adopt the political ideology of their oppressors”.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a grassroots NGO in Canada that defines its mission as being “to enable Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in the Middle East”, called Carney “dead wrong”.
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