Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre announced tough legislation to combat "hate marches," referring to pro-Palestine demonstrations against the war on Gaza.
During his campaign in Ottawa on Saturday, in a constituency contested by Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has angered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Polivar promised to deport any foreign national who violates the law.
"We will enforce strict laws against acts of vandalism, hate marches, and racist and religious attacks," he said, vowing that his government would deport visitor visa holders who violate the law, a move similar to the US administration's policies toward pro-Palestine protesters.
Polliver linked the pro-Palestine protests to rising rates of anti-Semitism, citing a report by the Jewish organization B'nai B'rith that showed a doubling of anti-Jewish incidents over the past two years. He also condemned the attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools in several Canadian cities since the start of the war on Gaza.
For his part, Prime Minister Carney faced sharp criticism from Netanyahu after he mentioned Canadian restrictions on arms exports to Israel during a campaign rally.
Carney later clarified that he did not support the accusations of genocide and called for a ceasefire, but his statements sparked controversy.
This escalation comes amid the ongoing bloody war in Gaza, which has left more than 50,000 dead, according to local sources, while Canadian cities are witnessing ongoing, albeit mostly peaceful, protests. The crisis highlights the depth of divisions within Canadian society over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as the general election approaches.