PM calls for Israel to exercise maximum restraint

Prime minister’s comments this week on the war in the Middle East and the strong reaction to them have a listen to what he said I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint the world is witnessing this the killing of women and children of babies this has to stop those comments

Drew backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who tagged the Prime Minister on X writing Israel isn’t the one quote deliberately targeting civilians but Hamas that beheaded burned and massacred civilians in the worst Horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust to be fair prime minister Trudeau did also condemn Hamas

In his remarks just after urging Israel to use restraint so far the feds have resisted pressure from opposition parties to call for a ceasefire they are though pushing for humanitarian pauses to allow Aid into Gaza let’s get some some more perspective now on Canada’s position when it comes to this war from

National Defense Minister Bill Blair hi Minister good to have you back on the program thank you so much for making the time of course fasy thanks for having me I want to start off minister with the uh Israel Hamas war and in particular comments from the Prime Minister this

Week uh urging Israel to exercise quote unquote maximum restraints restraint pardon me are Canadians to infer that your government at this point believes Israel is not exercising maximum restraint no I I I I think that’s the wrong inference to draw from the Minister’s remarks the Prime Minister quite understandably is is concerned

About innocent lives innocent lives on both sides of that border and and you know we’ve heard very clearly Canadian’s concern our government’s concern for that humanitarian Aid get to those people who need it and and there there are international rules with respect to the law of armed conflict um we have

Every expectation that that Israel will um respect those rules and and but and but we’ve also been Crystal Clear Israel has the right to defend itself they were attacked by a terrorist organization and and and they have a right to exist and therefore a right to defend themselves

Are just the Prime Minister was simply reiterating our expectation as I think all nations would agree that the international rules order on how these conflicts um will be conducted is is important as well and and we were just restating that that position but actually he he he didn’t restate it in

The exact same language he has had that position previously in which he did outline that the uh rules of international law needed to be followed this case though he detailed uh what was happening in hospitals he detailed concerns over uh civilians and then he said I urge Israel to exercise maximum

Restraint why would he say that if he already believed that was happening well well well again Vash I think the Prime Minister was simply reiterating Canada’s long-held position that that we we believe unequivocally that Israel has a right to defend itself they they were the victim of a horrendous uh terrorist

Attack and we we’ve also called upon called upon Hamas to releasee the hostages that they are holding and our expectation is uh for Israel that that as they defend themselves and engage uh in that conflict that that they will do everything that is necessary to avoid you know humanitarian crisis and and the

The injury to innocence that’s I think that’s the world’s expectation are are you um telling Canadians then that the reaction for example from Israeli Prime Minister Ben Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief political rival the leader of the opposition laid was not warranted because both of them appeared to on

Social media take offense to what the Prime Minister said they both rebuked those comments well and and if I may be clear I I read very carefully the Prime Minister uh response to to prime minister trau um he also I think was providing assurances that that they were

Undertaking um their part of this conflict in a way way which they believe to be responsible and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict um I I’m I did not take that as rebuke they did though outline in both their comments that they their perspective is Hamas is

Ultimately responsible for what has occurred and what continues to incur and it appears that they believe the prime minister’s statement said otherwise is it your government’s belief that Hamas is ultimately responsible for what is unfolding in the Middle East I I believe that Hamas committed a horrendous

Terrorist act um I I believe that that terrorist threat has to be properly addressed and eliminated I believe that the the Israel has a right to defend itself and I also believe that Israel understands that in the defending itself it also has a responsibility to conduct that armed conflict in accordance with

International rules I think the the Prime Minister nanyu acknowledged that and and Canada’s position again is you know we are concerned and we express concern for the innocent civilians that are caught in this conflict and at the same time we we we also acknowledge Hamas is a terrorist organization that

Committed a terrible a terrible crime and Israel has every right to defend itself and just to be clear Minister for for Canadians watching does your government believe Israel is exercising maximum restraint right now yes or no well and and again I I think I I think it’s a mistake to engage in speculation

Or hypotheticals in the absence of evidence and one of the things I I do understand about the laws of armed conflict is is that quite often in in the fog of we don’t have all of that information and so the the Prime Minister simply reiterated our position

To encourage the the Israel in in in that dealing with that conflict that that they would be be mindful of the impact it’s having on on innocent civilians I believe they are and and and so that’s simply the the position that we were stating so you have not arrived

At a conclusion one way or the other about whether or not Israel is conducting itself with an appropriate amount of restraint well I I can’t tell you not going to engage in speculation or or in hypotheticals you know we have a certain amount of information available to us and and we are hearing

That you know there are innocent civilians who are being impacted in this conflict and and Canada has already expressed its its strong opinion that we want to get humanitarian Aid who to those who desperately need it and at the same time I’m not going to to to pass

Judgment on the on the cont conduct of this conflict because we simply don’t have enough information to make that determination there are a number of Canadians including two opposition parties who are watching the same things unfold as your government and calling on your government instead to call for a

Ceasefire the uh prime minister was asked about that he did not offer a specific response about why he’s called for what he has but stop short of a ceasefire why is your government at this moment in time against a call for a ceasefire well well clearly we we’ve

Said from the very outset in the on October 7th when Hamas attacked and murdered 1200 Israeli and and kidnapped over 200 people and and and dragged them back in into Gaza that Israel had a right to defend itself and and we have said in the outet that that defense

Should be conducted in accordance with the laws of armed conflict international law and a respect for humanitarian concerns and and and and and so that has been the position that we’ve articulated just finally on this topic Minister can you clarify what exactly your expectation or hope uh from the

Government’s perspective is as to how long those pauses should be I hear the Prime Minister used the word sustained at at certain points there are pauses uh most likely every day there have been longer ones to allow for foreign Nationals out are you looking for a multi-day pause or something different

Well again we’re we’re looking for a pause that will be sufficient to allow Aid to reach those who desperately need it and that’s the work that we have been working with with our allies and our partners across the region it’s well it it it it it means that that it’s very

Difficult to get humanitarian Aid move food medicine and other essential supplies to those people who need it when when there is open hostility taking place and so a pause sufficient to allow those those supplies to reach those people and and to respond to a a true humanitarian crisis we we believe is

Important and that’s what the Prime Minister has been calling upon that you can’t quantif sufficient and sustained in order to let that let that Aid reach those people but again I don’t know necessarily what that means what that entails the president of the United States has asked for a three-day pause

He has confirmed that information is your government asking for something along the same lines yeah and and and bashy I’m not in a position to to say how long that pause needs to be we just want to make sure that that humanitarian Aid reaches the people who desperately

Need it we’ve made a significant contribution as a country to that Aid uh we want to make sure that that we can get it into those people safely and and so however long the the hostilities would have to be paused in order to to give that effect um I is is something

That we support but I don’t have a precise time uh to recommend or or or to acknowledge to you Minister I’ll leave it there appreciate your time as always thank you

National Defense Minister Bill Blair responds to sustained calls for a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas.

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