Carney Faces Backlash Over Anti-Semitism Advisory Appointments

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is under sharp criticism after appointing former minister and ex-MP Omar Alghabra to a new federal advisory council on anti-Semitism, despite Alghabra’s past remarks on Hamas and other anti-Israel terror groups. Alghabra was previously quoted saying he did not believe Hamas sought Israel’s destruction, and he also questioned designating the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades as a terrorist organization.

The appointment came at a sensitive moment, after Carney himself recently said that “Canada’s social contract has failed with Canadian Jews,” amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the country since the start of the Gaza war following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Carney said anti-Semitism has also surged in Europe, Australia and the United States, but argued Canada needs a distinct response.

Another member of the council, lawyer Avnish Nanda, also drew criticism because he previously represented pro-Palestinian activists who set up a protest encampment at the University of Alberta. During those demonstrations, slogans including “Globalize the Intifada” were displayed, a phrase many Jewish leaders view as incitement against Jews and Israelis.

Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre attacked Alghabra’s appointment, saying he remembered Alghabra working against him before entering politics to prevent Hezbollah from being outlawed. “I am not sure he is the right person to lead the fight against anti-Semitism,” Poilievre said. The controversy comes as Jewish community leaders warn that appointing people associated with disputed statements about anti-Israel organizations could undermine confidence in the new council. Government data show that of 1,342 religion-based hate crimes reported in 2024, nearly 70 percent targeted Jewish Canadians, even though Jews make up about 1 percent of the population.