After Months of Silence, Elizabeth May Finally Says “Genocide”—But Still Shields the Israeli State

Under pressure from activists and party members the Green leader appears to have adjusted her language.

On June 10, 2025, Elizabeth May finally used the word that many across Canada and the world have been demanding she say for months: genocide. Speaking at a press conference of the Canada–Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Green Party leader declared:

“What we see now is a genocide.”
“The genocide must end.”
“Israel is seen as a country that practices genocide… and that is horrific.”

These words represent a rhetorical turning point for May, who until now had avoided calling Israel’s assault on Gaza a genocide—even as UN experts, legal scholars, and hundreds of human rights organizations did. Instead, she previously framed the crisis as a matter of political ego, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for sabotaging hostage negotiations and risking Israel’s global image.

That framing remains in her latest remarks. May criticized Netanyahu for making Israel “a pariah state,” suggesting that the country’s growing isolation is a result of bad leadership—not systemic apartheid, settler-colonialism, or decades of military occupation. Alex Tyrrell has previously criticized May’s selective condemnation of Netanyahu in March « When it comes to sanctions neither May or Morrice has spoken loud enough. It’s not just about sanctioning certain settlers or Netanyahu but rather applying economic pressure to the state of Israel to force an end to this genocide regardless of who the government of the day is. Putting all the blame on a few settlers and politicians is a way of whitewashing the issue. » Tyrrell added « Why continue doing business with a genocidal regime? Calling for sanctions should not be difficult. Why the hesitation?”

“The way the Netanyahu government is acting,” May warned, “they risk Israel being seen by the world as a pariah state.”

Critics say this line reveals the limits of May’s shift: while she now uses the word “genocide,” she continues to legitimize the Israeli state and frame its international reputation—not its victims—as the central concern. She has perviously called Israel an ally of Canada.

The Cost of Cautious Morality

May’s invocation of genocide appears timed to match the international mood, not to lead it. It follows months of student encampments, trade union resolutions, Indigenous solidarity actions, mounting pressure within her own party base and now Gretta Thunberg’s detention in Israel for attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the the Gaza strip. It also follows global moves by states like South Africa, which have formally accused Israel of genocide before the International Court of Justice.

Moral Leadership Means More Than Words

It took eight months and 60,000 deaths for Elizabeth May to say “genocide.” That matters. But so does everything she still hasn’t said—and everything she still legitimizes through her selective framing.