What Carney said to a heckler who shouted: 'There's a genocide happening in Palestine!'

Liberal Leader Mark Carney contends he didn’t intend to endorse the claim by a supporter at a rally in Calgary  on Tuesday night who yelled out that there was genocide happening the Middle East. It was Carney’s first appearance in the Alberta city since the election was called. He began his rally at the Red and White Club at McMahon Stadium by joking at the raucous applause, “I thought I was in Calgary,” implying that Liberals are not generally so well received in Alberta. Carney was talking about the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders when, in a moment of silence, a man could be heard shouting: “My Carney! There’s a genocide happening in Palestine!” Carney quickly responded: “Thank you. Thank you, Diana. I’m aware. Which is why we have an arms embargo.” The reference to Diana was for his wife, Diana Fox Carney, who had spoken briefly to the crowd before inviting her husband to the podium. Video of the event shows that the man continued to shout indistinctly, but the word “Palestine” could be heard. He was mostly drowned out by the crowd chanting “Carney! Carney!” When that died down, Carney thanked his fellow candidates and the other guests at the event without further referencing the remark.

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On Wednesday, Carney was asked by a reporter about the man’s remark and his response to it, particularly the words “I’m aware.” The reporter asked: “Are you conceding it’s a genocide in Gaza?” Carney replied: “I didn’t hear that word.” He added: “You hear snippets of what people say. I heard Gaza … and my point was I’m aware of the situation in Gaza.” He continued by explaining that Canada has restrictions on permits to export arms to Israel, with the exception of the country’s Iron Dome missile defence system. “I was stating a fact in terms of the arms restrictions,” he said.