OTTAWA — Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert says Canadians should oppose Israel’s government — not Israelis themselves — and blasts his successor for treating Prime Minister Mark Carney as “an enemy of Israel.”
“I only advise the people of Canada to oppose the Israeli government. That’s perfectly legitimate,” Olmert told The Canadian Press.
“Don’t oppose the State of Israel and the people of Israel. They are friends of Canada.”
He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been inaccurately portraying Prime Minister Mark Carney as hostile to his country. Six months have passed without the two leaders speaking directly.
“I would advise him not to declare (that) Canada is an enemy of Israel,” Olmert said of Netanyahu. “Canada is a friend of Israel and the prime minister of Canada is a friend of Israel.”
Olmert spoke Thursday after an onstage interview held by the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy in Ottawa at an ongoing conference about the Middle East.
He served as Israeli prime minister from 2006 to 2009 and had attempted to reach an agreement on a two-state solution with Palestinians.
He has been a fierce critic of the Netanyahu government since the Israel-Hamas war started nearly two years ago.
Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has since bombarded Gaza and restricted food aid in the enclave, resulting in what Hamas says have been 65,000 deaths.
Olmert said Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet are distorting Israel’s image on the world stage. He cited mass protests against the government and polling that shows most Israelis want an end to the conflict through a deal with Hamas to return hostages.
“The voice of Israel is the voice of millions of people that are absolutely unhappy and non-supportive of many aspects of the Israeli government, and definitely in the last few months are against continuing the military operations in Gaza,” he told Thursday’s conference.
“I’m talking about all of the former commanders of (Israel’s military), the senior generals — the warriors of Israel.”
Olmert said the war is continuing in part because U.S. President Donald Trump is unflinching in his support of Netanyahu, despite widespread claims that he is making the country a pariah state.
“There is nothing more that Trump enjoys than being against the whole world. And today, being against the whole world is to be with Netanyahu,” Olmert said.
He said former U.S. president George Bush was seen as ignorant on foreign policy during his term, but “he was the most learned person in the history of mankind, compared to the present president.”
Olmert argued Netanyahu is prolonging the war to prop up his governing coalition with far-right parties, so that he will not lose office and face corruption charges.
He also cited his own history. Olmert left office amid poor approval ratings and a corruption probe, and ended up serving time in jail after a 2014 conviction for accepting bribes.
Olmert argued a two-state solution is still possible. He pointed out that the French and Germans went from bitter conflict in the Second World War to being close allies within 50 years.
Olmert said the Palestinian Authority, “weak as it is, corrupt as it is, ineffective as it is, still is the only body which represents all the Palestinians.”
He told The Canadian Press that Carney is right to pursue a two-state solution, despite Netanyahu’s criticism.
His comments come as Carney reaches six months in office without speaking directly to Netanyahu.
Senior Canadian officials — who were authorized to brief media on the issue of Palestinian statehood last Friday on the condition they not be named — said there have been multiple attempts to schedule a call between Netanyahu and Carney, but none have happened to date.
Carney did speak briefly with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the papal inauguration in May at Vatican City, they noted.
Still, observers of Canada’s foreign policy have noted that Netanyahu never congratulated Carney following his election in April, and instead criticized him that month during the election campaign.
Netanyahu’s office has not responded to a Sept. 17 request from The Canadian Press for an explanation of why the two haven’t spoken, and why he did not congratulate Carney on his election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
