Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she is checking whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel through Canadian airspace on his way to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Anand told reporters outside the UN headquarters on Wednesday that she had asked her department for information about the possible flight.
“I actually have asked my department to provide me with information relating to this particular flyover, which I did not have before coming to the United Nations,” she said.
Netanyahu faces ICC arrest warrant
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations and disputes the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said Netanyahu would be arrested if he entered Canada, reflecting Ottawa’s stated commitment to respecting ICC decisions.
Foreign dignitaries must seek diplomatic clearance from Ottawa at least three working days before flying through Canadian airspace, according to Canadian officials.
Anand avoids calling Netanyahu a war criminal
Asked whether Canada considers Netanyahu a war criminal, Anand did not directly use that description.
“Our position is … to respect decisions of international courts and … to support, at all times, people who are suffering, including in Gaza and Palestine and the West Bank, and to ensure that crimes against humanity are addressed as such,” she said.
The issue comes as Netanyahu prepares to travel to New York to address the UN General Assembly.
Legal experts have previously questioned Canada’s decision to allow Netanyahu’s aircraft to pass through its airspace despite the ICC warrant.
Canada’s position on ICC decisions
Canada is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and has said it respects decisions of international courts.
The Canadian government has also continued to take diplomatic and policy measures related to the Middle East conflict. On September 23, Ottawa announced additional sanctions against five Iranian individuals and five entities.
