OTTAWA – An August Angus Reid survey reports that about six in ten Canadians want Canada to formally recognize an independent Palestinian state, even at the cost of straining trade talks with Washington.
The poll asked if Canada should reverse its decision under U.S. pressure; only 20% said yes, while 63% said Canada should go ahead with recognition regardless. The findings suggest Canadians are three times more likely to support recognition than to back down, despite U.S. warnings.
Pro-Israel Jewish organizations reacted with alarm. B’nai Brith Canada warned the decision was “dangerously premature,” noting skepticism about the Palestinian Authority’s commitments to democracy and security.
CIJA (the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs) similarly cautioned that recognizing Palestine under current conditions would risk “another failed Palestinian pseudo-state controlled by terrorists,” and criticized Ottawa for not insisting on Hamas’s removal and the release of hostages first.
These groups said recognition should be tied to concrete reforms and demilitarization before proceeding.
Israel’s government also condemned Ottawa’s plan. The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the announcement as “a reward for Hamas,” saying the shift “harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other allies of Israel have likewise warned that unilateral recognition without a peace deal could strengthen extremist factions.
In Washington, President Donald Trump immediately seized on the announcement during U.S.-Canada trade talks. He posted on social media: “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!” A White House official echoed the Israeli view, saying recognition would “reward Hamas.”
The new tariffs announced by Trump this week already loom over negotiations, and Americans are signaling they may link trade concessions to Canada’s Middle East stance.
Foreign affairs analysts note the recognition pledge may be largely symbolic but could complicate Canada’s alliances. A former U.S. intelligence officer remarked that while the move is intended to pressure Israel toward two-state talks, it “is unlikely to be anything more than symbolic and risks undermining [Canada’s] relationship with a longtime ally in Israel.”
The poll suggests Canadians generally want Ottawa to stand firm, a majority say Canada should “play hardball” with U.S. demands, but some experts warn Ottawa must still manage fallout with the United States and Israel.
Conservative politicians in Canada have denounced the plan. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the recognition “reckless,” echoing critics who say it rewards terrorism. By contrast, Liberal and NDP lawmakers largely support the two-state initiative.
The survey reflected that divide: most past Liberal voters support state recognition, whereas a plurality of Conservative voters would reverse the decision.
This article is based on verified information from the Angus Reid Institute, B’nai Brith Canada, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
You need Parliament approval ! You are a minority government and you do not speak for all Canadians ! This is Canada , not China or Russia !