Trudeau says Canada supports the UN court but not necessarily genocide claim against Israel

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government's support for the International Court of Justice as a key institution of international law does not mean it backs the premise of the genocide claim brought by South Africa against Israel.

The Liberal government has faced days of questions about where Canada stands on South Africa's case before the top United Nations court.

«Canada has long been a tremendous supporter of the international rules-based order and processes and structures that have been put in place over the past decades to be able to actually ensure that international law is respected and enforced,» Trudeau told a press conference Friday in Guelph, Ont.

«And the ICJ, International Court of Justice, is a key part of that. Our wholehearted support of the ICJ and its processes does not mean we support the premise of the case brought forward by South Africa.»

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly echoed Trudeau's remarks and said Canada will watch the case before the ICJ very closely.

«Under the UN's 1948 Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide requires the intention to destroy or partly destroy a group because of their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. Meeting this high threshold requires compelling evidence,» said Joly.

«We must ensure that the procedural steps in this case are not used to foster antisemitism and targeting of Jewish neighbourhoods, businesses and individuals. At the same time, we will continue to stand against Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment.»

In the statement, Joly went on to say that Canada remains deeply concerned about the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supports urgent international efforts to secure a sustainable ceasefire.

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