The differences between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in their reactions to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel, illustrates their different approaches to the Mideast.
For context, Canada has listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 2002, describing it as “a radical Shia group ideologically inspired by the Iranian revolution” and “one of the most technically capable terrorist groups in the world,” committed to the “destruction of Israel and, ultimately, the establishment of a revolutionary Shia Islamic state in Lebanon, modelled after Iran.”
Formed in 1982, Hezbollah, has “carried out some of the most infamous terror attacks of the Lebanese civil war, such as the suicide bombings of the barracks of United States Marines and French paratroopers in Beirut, as well as the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.”
Trudeau’s response to Nasrallah’s death on X was: “Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed. He was the leader of a terrorist organization that attacked and killed innocent civilians, causing immense suffering across the region.”
Including his government’s standard call for a ceasefire, and that Canada is working towards a just peace in the Mideast, Trudeau added, “We stand with the Lebanese and Israeli people. They deserve to live in peace and security.”
All true, but basically a statement of well-known facts.
Poilievre’s response on X was more in keeping with Canada’s official view of Hezbollah.
“The elimination of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, means justice for countless families that have lost loved ones at the hands of this genocidal terrorist,” Poilievre wrote.
“The people of Israel, Lebanon and the Middle East have suffered for decades as a result of his violence and terror, backed by the criminal regime in Tehran.
“Hezbollah should immediately cease their attacks on the people of Israel, stop using innocent people in Lebanon as human shields and lay down their arms so this war can come to an end.
“Conservatives will always stand with our allies against terrorism around the world.”
In our view this is a welcome example of moral clarity, condemning a terrorist leader whose organization poses a threat not only to Israel, but to the Arab world, given that in its roll as Iran’s terrorist proxy, Hezbollah terrorizes innocent civilians throughout the Mideast.