(Ottawa) Civilian deaths by the thousands, massive displacement of the Gazan population, destruction of civilian infrastructure: the world “cannot allow what is happening” in Gaza to pass, outraged Canada’s ambassador to the Nations United, Bob Rae.
Last week, the world spoke – more specifically, 153 of the 193 UN member states, including Canada – in demanding “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas.
The problem is that the resolution approved at the General Assembly is not binding. And the United States and Israel voted against it, alongside eight other nations, with 23 abstentions.
Canada’s vote, which represented a change of position, was obviously not unanimous. In the Liberal ranks, Anthony Housefather, a Jewish MP from Montreal, is one of those who castigated the about-face of the Trudeau government.
“Frankly, it was the situation on the ground that persuaded many countries, and not just Canada, to change their vote,” argued Ambassador Rae in a telephone interview, with a few days of hindsight.
When the vote was taken, Germany and the United Kingdom abstained.
In a joint open letter published Sunday in the Sunday TimesBritish Foreign Minister David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock supported the idea of a ceasefire, but only if it is “sustainable”.
“We do not believe that the way forward is to call now for an immediate and widespread ceasefire, in the hope that it will become permanent,” the two ministers wrote in the British publication.
There is therefore no consensus on the criterion of immediacy, according to their words.
Ambassador Rae is alarmed: what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic.
We see the almost total displacement of the population. Where are they going to go? We cannot continue with the total destruction of civilian infrastructure that we are seeing.
Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations
War crimes allegations
The measure of the Israeli response is considered excessive by some organizations such as Human Rights Watch – on Monday, it accused the Jewish state of deliberately starving the population of Gaza, which would constitute a war crime.
Canada has not made any specific criticism of the IDF in respect of respect for international law, with the exception of Justin Trudeau’s initial reaction to an attack on the grounds of a Gaza hospital that was initially attributed to Tel Aviv.
Ambassador Rae will not venture into this area either. It is up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to look into the allegations of war crimes, he argues: “Canada cannot draw these conclusions”.
At the same time, someone who knows a lot about human rights – he was Canada’s special envoy to Burma during the Rohingya crisis – suggests that Tel Aviv has exceeded the limits.
“The Israelis assure that they respect their obligations”, but “naturally, there will be investigations into this”, because “we clearly see the destruction of civilian life, the deaths, the destruction of property”, he points out. -he.
The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, took on the task. ” An investigation is underway [et] we are moving forward quickly, with vigor,” he said in a video published on December 3.
The investigation will focus both on violations committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and by Palestinians during the attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on October 7, he said.
Postponement of a vote in the Security Council
Deeply divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the United Nations Security Council has decided to postpone the vote on a new resolution on a cessation of hostilities from Monday to Tuesday.
Nearly two weeks ago, the United States used its right of veto at the table of the powerful UN body to block a resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.
At the end of the vote, Washington’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Robert A. Wood, cited among other things the lack of condemnation of the attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 as one of the reasons behind the American refusal.
However, the text obtained on Sunday by Agence France-Presse still did not mention the terrorist group. If Monday’s vote was postponed, it is because the wording of this new proposal was still the subject of intense negotiations.
The two-state solution
These negotiations are undoubtedly nothing compared to those that will have to begin one day or another to reestablish a certain form of stability, according to the rhetoric of Benyamin Netanyahu’s government.
In an interview with the British network Sky News, Israel’s envoy to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotolevy, said there was “absolutely no” chance that the two states could coexist.
“If there is not a two-state solution, what is the alternative? Tell us ! », says Bob Rae in reaction.
We are not going to move the population of Gaza to other countries. We are not going to recreate the situation of 1948. Absolutely not.
Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations
The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 pushed some 760,000 Palestinians into exile, an event known as the “Nakba” (“Catastrophe”).
Jewish settlements replaced Palestinian villages in an occupation movement that continues today.
With Agence France-Presse
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Pierre Poilievre takes a stand
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre opposes the resolution Canada adopted at the United Nations. Because according to him, this “unconditional ceasefire” stipulates “that Israel should accept that Hamas keeps the hostages”, since the text makes no “mention of the release of hostages held by Hamas”. The Leader of the Opposition clarified where he stood in a podcast by columnist Rex Murphy, National Post. The Canadian vote at the UN was, on the contrary, welcomed by the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party. And in fact, the text of the resolution calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”. It is, however, true that Hamas is not named there.
Melanie Marquis, The Press