How Jewish issues affected Justin Trudeau’s loss of support—and ultimate resignation

For several months now, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather has been calling for his boss to resign. The Montreal-area politician first broke publicly with his party in March 2024, over its positions on the Israel-Hamas war—yet he ultimately decided to remain in the Liberal caucus. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later appointed Housefather as special advisor on the Jewish community and antisemitism, but that promotion didn’t stop Housefather from calling for Trudeau to step down in recent weeks. On Jan. 6, 2025, Housefather finally got his wish. Trudeau announced he would resign as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada after the party votes on a new leader. To give themselves some time, the prime minister prorogued parliament until March 24. The significant decision comes on the heels of tenuous conflicts that the Prime Minister’s Office faced, both within and beyond his own party—including conflicts over Jewish issues. His centrist approach to the Middle East conflict invited criticism on his foreign affairs file from right- and left-leaning supporters, while Canadian Jewish voters faced unprecedented spikes in antisemitism across the country, with some laying blame, rightly or wrongly, at the foot of the federal government. For his part, Housefather thinks Canadian Jews should stick with the Liberals under a new leader, and plans to advocate for Jewish issues with the forthcoming candidates. (He’s already praising Christy Clark, the former B.C. premier, and Chrystia Freeland, the ex-finance minister). Housefather joins The CJN Daily to discuss Trudeau’s historic resignation and lays out what to expect. Then, we speak with Jeremy Levi, the mayor of the Town of Hampstead, Quebec, for his take on the moment and why Trudeau’s decision doesn’t move the needle for Conservative supporters such as himself.

Related links

• Read what Justin Trudeau told The CJN in 2015 about his and his party’s positions on Jewish and Israel issues before he was first elected as Prime Minister with a majority.
• Review why Liberal MP Anthony Housefather almost left the Liberal government over its anti-Israel positions, on The CJN Daily, from March 2024.
• Learn more about Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi, a Conservative supporter who has become a vocal critic of the Liberals, especially Housefather, in this recent The CJN profile.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

Support our show

• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)