Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has doubled down on his controversial remarks supporting potential Israeli military action to curb Iran’s nuclear program, calling it a “gift to humanity.”
Poilievre, a prominent candidate for Canada‘s prime minister office, made the comment in response to a reporter questioning his support for potential Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear program, contrasting his stance with that of US President Joe Biden, who opposes such military interventions.
Poilievre firmly responded that allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons would be a significant global security threat. He said, “It would be the most dangerous and irresponsible thing the world could ever allow,” and described Iran as a “genocidal, theocratic and unstable dictatorship.”
Poilievre said, “I think the idea of allowing a genocidal, theocratic and unstable dictatorship that is desperate to avoid being overthrown by its own people to develop nuclear weapons is about the most dangerous and irresponsible thing that the world could ever allow.”
He added, “And if Israel were to stop, that genocidal, theocratic, unstable government from acquiring nuclear weapons, it would be a gift by the Jewish state to humanity”
Earlier during the day, Poilievre was barred from speaking in the Canadian House of Commons after being penalised by the speaker for refusing to withdraw comments he made yesterday on foreign minister Mélanie Joly of pandering to Hamas supporters. He claimed that foreign minister failed to condemn anti-Semitic chants.