MONTREAL, Sept 17, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A reporter with the French service of Canada's public broadcasting service was suspended Tuesday after on-air comments that Radio-Canada described as "stereotypical" antisemitism.

Commenting on the enduring closeness between the United States and Israel, despite US concern about an Israeli airstrike in Qatar targeting Hamas leadership, the reporter said "the Israelis, in fact the Jews, finance a lot of American politics."

In response to an anchor's question during a Monday broadcast, she also said that large American cities and Hollywood were both "run by Jews."

In a statement, Radio-Canada called the comments "stereotypical, antisemitic, erroneous and prejudicial allegations against Jewish communities."

"These unacceptable comments contravene Radio-Canada's Journalistic Standards and Practices and in no way reflect the opinion of the public broadcaster," it said, adding the reporter had been suspended indefinitely.

Funded by taxpayers, Radio-Canada is the French equivalent of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault said Tuesday that the while the federal government should never interfere in public broadcaster journalism, "the words used on last night's broadcast were pernicious antisemitic tropes and have absolutely no place on Canadian airwaves."

"When antisemitic language is used by journalists...it risks normalizing hatred," he added.

The reporter's comments came on the same day Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Jewish leaders to discuss rising antisemitism in Canada.

The PM's office noted that last year, "almost 70 percent of police-reported religious hate crimes were directed toward Jewish communities."

Carney's office said his government planned to back legislation making it illegal to obstruct access to places of worship, as it responded to concern from the Jewish community about anti-Israel protests outside synagogues.