Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, says he chose not to join dozens of diplomats who walked out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly on Friday because he believes listening is part of his role.
“Because that’s my job,” Rae told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday. “My job is to listen to people, and I don’t think we’re ever going to get anywhere if we don’t try to listen to people, understand what they’re saying, why they’re saying it the way they’re saying it—and that’s my job.”
Netanyahu’s speech sparked protest and interruptions, with the presiding official calling for order multiple times. His remarks came after Canada and several allies, including the U.K., Australia, and France, formally recognized a Palestinian state at this year’s General Assembly session. Netanyahu dismissed those recognitions as “disgraceful.”
Rae, however, emphasized that diplomacy requires hearing out voices—even those he disagrees with. “I’ve listened to Lavrov, I’ve listened to the Russian Ambassador on Ukraine. I don’t agree with a word they say, but I listen to them, and I think that’s part of what diplomacy is all about,” he said. He added that walking out would have been a “performative gesture” and that Canada’s focus should remain on finding solutions.
Rae has served as Canada’s ambassador to the UN since 2020, following a long political career that included stints as Ontario premier and interim Liberal leader. He is set to step down on November 17, when former cabinet minister David Lametti will take over the post.