Canada's Mark Carney derided online for vision of ‘Zionist Palestinian state’
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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Today, Prime Minister @MarkJCarney suggested he would not recognize a Palestinian state unless it was “Zionist.”
— Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (@CJPME) June 25, 2025
In doing so, Carney is asking Palestinians to adopt the political ideology of their oppressors as a pre-condition for self-determination.
He is dead wrong. Zionism… pic.twitter.com/orlUsa0FnW
Another Canada-based NGO, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), also shot back, saying that Carney’s remarks are in direct contrast to Canada’s foreign policy, “which affirms the right to the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic, and territorially contiguous Palestinian state”.
In a long thread on the social media platform X, NCCM said that Carney’s remarks are “insulting” and continue a trend of ignoring Israel’s continuing war on Gaza, which several countries, as well as many international rights groups and experts, now qualify as genocide.
7/8. But the comments today are insulting and devoid of the context of an Israeli government that has not only refused to recognize Palestine, but has continued to illegally occupy more and more Palestinian land as it carries out a genocide against Palestinians.
— NCCM (@nccm) June 24, 2025
The fact that Carney mentioned a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine in the interview, but added that this Palestinian state should be a “Zionist” one, was interpreted by many on social media as “evil” and “bigoted”.
It was not on my bingo card that Prime Minister @MarkJCarney would call for something so hateful, bigoted, and cruel as calling for a "Zionist Palestine." I never imagined he was capable of such evil--evil is the right word--thinking.
— Stephen Best (@BestStephenD) June 25, 2025
Does Carney not realize that it is Zionists…
Many also argued that Carney demonstrated his commitment to Zionism, “just like many other Canadian PMs before him”.
Social media users did not differentiate between Carney’s remarks about a “Zionist Palestinian state” and his continuous support for Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed over 56,000 people.
Mark Carney is a Zionist fanatic. There is no other explanation for his militarism and imperialism and his support for genocide in Gaza. The notion of a “Zionist Palestine” is simply unhinged. I am actually shocked to hear it out of his mouth https://t.co/l5v2Wi2jXN
— David Robbins (@iroguerobot) June 25, 2025
In May, shortly after Carney was elected Canada’s new prime minister, Canada co-signed a joint statement with unusually strong language targeting Israel with its G7 allies, the UK and France, calling Gaza's suffering "intolerable" and Israel's minimal aid allotment "wholly inadequate".
Around the same time, the three countries threatened Israel with sanctions if it failed to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter.
These recent moves could explain why so many on social media were shocked and outraged by the prime minister’s remarks, which, according to them, stemmed from "ignorance".
In May, four Canadians were part of a delegation with their European counterparts on a visit to the occupied West Bank when Israeli soldiers opened fire on them.
In response, Canada demanded a full investigation and an immediate explanation, calling it “totally unacceptable”. Israel said it “regrets the inconvenience”.
However, Canada did not take action against Israel in terms of sanctions or cutting trade ties with the country, even though there were many organisations as well as Canadian political parties calling on the country to do so.
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