To:  Stephen Barber 
President of The Conservative Party of Canada 

Mr. Poilievre has recently stated that Israel has the right of "proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations." [1] The Conservative Leader has since doubled down on his call, saying such an act would be “a gift by the Jewish state to humanity.” [2] 

Mr. Poilievre appears to have conveniently forgotten that Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and remains committed to using its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, while Israel has never joined the NPT. Mr. Poilievre seems to ignore that he is advocating for a non-NPT nation to attack nuclear facilities of an NPT nation whose facilities are considered as civilian sites, an act which goes against international law [3]. 

Even more concerning is the fact that Mr. Poilievre is encouraging a country currently under investigation by the International Court of Justice for the crime of genocide, and whose leaders are accused of committing war crimes by the International Criminal Court [4], to take military action against a sovereign nation. This kind of inflammatory rhetoric is not only reckless but is deeply irresponsible and stands in stark opposition to the values that Canadians hold dear as a peace-seeking nation. Furthermore, it increases the risk of dangerous escalation in an already fragile region. 

His statements are out of step with Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, who said last week that an escalation of the hostilities between Israel and Iran could plunge Western Asia into “all-out war” [5], the specter of which is very worrisome for hundreds of thousands of Iranian Canadians who have families in Iran. 

Canada has historically been a force for peace and diplomacy and has discouraged violations of international law. Mr. Poilievre's statements, which deviate from the norm, are even contrary to U.S. President Joe Biden’s discouragement of such actions by Israel and his suggestions that Israel should consider alternative ways to retaliate against Iran [6]. Such remarks also contradict Prime Minister Trudeau's strategic approach, which suggests that Israel should avoid a wider war [7].  

Whereas UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, "The sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff" has to stop, such statements by the Conservative Party Leader, which contradict the consensus of the international community on de-escalation, is very concerning.  

The Iranian Canadian Congress remains dedicated to supporting diplomatic solutions and ensuring the protection of Iranian-Canadian interests. We call on Canadian leaders to reject military adventurism and instead work towards peaceful and constructive dialogue that can lead to lasting stability. We condemn Mr. Poilievre’s inflammatory statements in the strongest terms.