OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday criticized the Israeli government’s “inflammatory rhetoric” and called for a change in its approach to Palestinians amid escalating violence.
Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, early Wednesday morning in an attempt to eliminate a group who claimed it was barricaded inside.
Prime Minister Trudeau told reporters in Ariston, Ontario, “I regret what is happening now in Israel. He also condemned rocket attacks by Palestinian militants from Gaza.
“We are very concerned about the angry rhetoric emanating from the Israeli government. We are also concerned about judicial reform. We are concerned about the violence around the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Trudeau said. ‘ said.
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Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gubir, called for a tougher response to rocket attacks from Gaza, saying: “Hamas rockets require more than blowing up sand dunes and no-man’s land. It’s time to bow down in Gaza,” he tweeted.
The attack on the Al-Aqsa mosque complex drew sharp reactions from Arab countries and the Arab League, but Trudeau’s comments were among the first to come from Israel’s traditional Western allies against Wednesday’s violence. is one.
“We need to see the Israeli government change its approach, and Canada, as a dear, close and trusted friend of Israel, says it is deeply concerned about the direction the Israeli government is taking.
“We firmly condemn the rocket attacks by militants in Gaza. We need to de-escalate the violence,” Trudeau added.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer from Ottawa; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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