QUESTION PERIOD — Canadian Heritage
Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion
June 3, 2026
Senator Moreau, good afternoon.
I also want to talk about the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion and congratulate the Prime Minister on this initiative, which will focus on anti-Semitism as its first priority.
Shortly after the council was announced, a number of Jewish groups came out criticizing it, saying that it did not address the fundamental problem of anti-Semitism, which it claims is harsh criticism of Israel and anti-Israel narratives.
This is a key question. Senator Housakos is right to refer to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, or RIDR, report. There is a lot of good stuff in it. But the report did not address this issue, so I’m asking you if you can clarify.
Can you confirm that it is not anti-Semitic to criticize Israel harshly for grave violations of international law, as documented by the United Nations and other international organizations?
Senator Woo, I am not an expert in defining what is or is not anti-Semitism. There is one thing for sure: The government is committed to ensuring there is no anti-Semitism in the country. That’s the reason why an advisory council has been put in place.
I repeat that the mandate of the council is to reassess, develop, improve and measure the government’s actions for all groups, including the Jewish community, to ensure that all Canadian values are respected in this action, and that’s the purpose of the committee.
Now, to directly address your question, I am not the one who will define today in Question Period what is or is not anti-Semitism. I think it’s more important than that, and it requires more than one minute to answer.
It is extraordinary that you cannot say that a country engaging in grave violations of international law cannot be criticized and that it’s possible that such a criticism can be deemed to be anti-Semitic. Is this why the government has been so silent on the United Nation’s inclusion of Israel to the black list of countries that indulge in sexual violence in conflicts? There has been no comment from the Canadian government.
I’m not aware if that’s the reason, but I don’t think it is.
