Patrick Brown faces severe criticism from pro-Israel groups after his disagreement with the official position of the Canadian Conservative Party regarding the Canadian embassy in Israel and his comparisons between Ukrainians and Palestinians.

Brown, who is running for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party, made the comments in the text of an interview published over the weekend with the Echo of the East newspaper serving the Muslim community in Montreal.

However, Brown's team said on Monday that the published text was an inaccurate portrayal of his views. Shimon Koffler Fogel, President and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), said he was concerned about "Brown's troubling comments" in the published article.

He added: "We have reached out directly to both Mr. Brown and his campaign team and look forward to the clarifications he may provide in the coming days."

Members of the Canadian Conservative Party voted overwhelmingly in 2018 in favor of moving the Canadian embassy to the Israeli capital from Tel Aviv, which the United States did in the same year.

Former Conservative leaders Erin O'Toole and Andrew Scheer promised to move the embassy if elected prime minister. However, with Palestinians insisting that East Jerusalem should become part of a future Palestinian state, most countries have avoided establishing their embassies in Jerusalem.

In the Echo of the East interview, Brown responded to a question about moving the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, saying: "If I were Prime Minister, I would not move the embassy."

Brown was also asked if he saw any "double standards" between Canada’s treatment of Ukrainian refugees and army, who are fighting the Russian invasion, and Palestinian refugees and the lands Palestinians consider "occupied" by Israel. "This is why I have been speaking out publicly against violence in Palestine," said Brown.

He added: "I believe Canada needs a balanced foreign policy, and often it has not been balanced in the Middle East," saying he believes in a two-state solution but thinks Canada has repeated "Washington and Donald Trump's position" on the Israeli-Palestinian situation. "I am not a sheep that follows others; if I were Prime Minister, I would do what I feel is right."

He called on Canada to make more efforts to help Palestinian refugees, as well as refugees from Afghanistan and Yemen, as it has done with Ukrainian refugees, then noted that he was the first Canadian politician to issue a public statement regarding the clashes last month between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

On April 15, Brown wrote on Twitter that he was "deeply troubled by the violence occurring in Jerusalem" and called for peace.

Michael Mostyn, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada, said: "It is foolish to compare the situation in Ukraine to the riots at Al-Aqsa Mosque." Israel will continue to defend itself against terrorist incitement, just as Ukraine will continue to defend itself against Russian military aggression. Mostyn added: "Patrick Brown should know this."

A spokesman for Brown’s campaign said in a written statement to National Post: "While he believes Canada should act swiftly to assist refugees, he did not make or intend to make a comparison between the tragedy of the refugee situation in Ukraine." However, Brown did not back down from his position regarding the location of the Canadian embassy.

The top priority now, and always, is a two-state solution towards peace in the region. Politicians have used the embassy move as a tool to rally support and not to promote peace in the region."

Mostyn said it is "regrettable" to read that Brown will not move the Canadian embassy to the Israeli capital. "Every country has the right to choose its capital, and Israel has chosen Jerusalem."