(Ottawa) Israel has been singled out by Canada’s decision to support the UN’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the country’s ambassador to Ottawa said on Wednesday.
Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed called it “very disappointing” that Canada broke with long-standing practice by voting Tuesday in favor of a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire as soon as possible. recent conflict between Israel and Gaza.
“Canada knowingly made the decision to side with those who point to Israel as guilty of the current situation,” Mr. Moed said in an interview.
“In this fight, we need the international community to stand with us. Unfortunately, we see that the international community is doing exactly the opposite. It sidelines Israel within the United Nations,” he added.
Shared responsibility
The non-binding resolution calls for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The vote marked a sea change in Canada’s long-standing position, which has sided with Israel in major resolutions.
The recent war between Israel and Hamas began after the armed group’s militants launched a surprise attack in Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians, and taking around 240 people hostage.
Israel responded with airstrikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and cutting off access to many essential supplies. Local authorities say more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintained his decision to support the resolution. He said both sides had a responsibility to work towards lasting peace.
“We will continue to participate in urgent international efforts towards a lasting ceasefire, but it cannot be unilateral. We must see Hamas lay down its arms,” Mr. Trudeau said.
Support for a humanitarian ceasefire was necessary because of the “continuing” suffering of Palestinian civilians who have “dwindling” security zones in Gaza, UN Ambassador Bob Rae told the General Assembly after voting for Canada.
Mr. Rae was not available for an interview Wednesday.
Mr. Moed said Mr. Rae’s comments ignored important context regarding Hamas’s role in repressing Palestinians, diverting critical supplies to its operations and using civilians as human shields.
“It is very regrettable to blame everything on Israel. And this plays into the hands of those who do not want Israel to exist,” he argued.
Critics of the vote pointed out that the Liberals did not mention Israel in the list of countries they consulted before the U.N. vote, but Mr. Moed said his country had in fact participated in those talks .
However, it is not certain “that these consultations have the necessary weight”.
Israel strives to respect international law and limit the number of victims, Mr. Moed stressed. Hamas is ultimately responsible for the many Palestinians killed during the war, he added.
“We can mention the fact that Hamas exaggerates the figures […], but that doesn’t take away from the fact that many people are dying, Moed said. Many people – innocent people, babies, families – we know this. We are aware of this. We try to avoid it. But Hamas is responsible. »
Tensions
Despite his criticism, Mr. Moed believes that relations between Canada and Israel were generally healthy, citing as evidence Mr. Trudeau’s long phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This is the most important point we should see before us. These are open, long and frank discussions on many topics,” he said.
And this, despite the months of tension which preceded the Hamas attacks.
The Liberal government has publicly raised concerns about two issues: a judicial reform proposed by Mr. Netanyahu, which aimed to limit the power of judges, as well as a statement by a right-wing minister in his coalition government that a Palestinian village in the West Bank is set to be “obliterated” following violent clashes.
In July, Mr. Trudeau said that inviting Mr. Netanyahu to visit Canada was “not on the agenda at the moment.”
US President Joe Biden made tougher comments than Mr. Trudeau, saying that Mr. Netanyahu’s ministerial partners “don’t want anything remotely close to a two-state solution” and that They are beginning to lose the support of the international community due to the “indiscriminate bombings” in Gaza.
The United States, which voted against the resolution, nevertheless continues to oppose an immediate ceasefire.
The resolution contains neither condemnation of Hamas nor support for Israel’s right to defend itself, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at the White House press briefing.
“So it is obvious that we are not going to adhere to this resolution,” he said.
Mr. Moed said Israel hoped that Canada would continue to support its efforts to eradicate Hamas, but he confirmed that the Israeli government did not have a clear definition of what victory in this conflict would look like.
“We are still in the middle of a war. We do not yet know in which direction it will unfold,” he mentioned.
With information from James McCarten in Washington