Israel feels unfairly targeted when the Trudeau government insists on the importance of respecting international law in the armed conflict in Gaza, says its representative in Canada.
“It sounds like a critical observation, something that reflects dissatisfaction with the way Israel operates its army,” laments the Israeli ambassador to Ottawa, Iddo Moed.
The diplomat spoke with The duty as part of the celebrations of the 75e anniversary of diplomatic relations between Israel and Canada. “75 years later, we again face an environment where many Arabs do not support Israel’s right to exist,” he compares with the time of the country’s creation in 1948.
Even if he describes Canadian support for his country as “strong and solid”, he regrets to note an evolution in the Trudeau government’s speech in this regard.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Mélanie Joly, for example, commented on Tuesday on the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, repeating that “all parties must respect international law, including international humanitarian law”. She signaled her intention to “respect the process” of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is examining a request for an international arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity, such as deliberately starving civilians.
Disappointed by Canada
“This court has no jurisdiction in this case because Palestine is not recognized by Canada as a state, because Israel is not a member [de la CPI] and because Israel has a very robust legal system,” argues the Israeli ambassador.
“Canada is aware of all this, and we would have expected Canada to mention it, while rejecting out of hand any attempt by the ICC prosecutor to twist international law in order to tie the hands of ‘Israel while the country defends itself. »
Canada’s abstention during a vote at the United Nations (UN) aimed at making Palestine a member state on May 10 also concerned him. “We would have liked Canada to oppose it. »
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented this abstention as “a fundamental change in Canada’s approach” towards Israel. The United States, for its part, voted against this resolution at the UN.
“Historically, Canada has been one of the strongest defenders of Israel,” confirms Jean-Philippe Thérien, full professor in the department of Political Science at the University of Montreal. He speaks of Canada’s abstention at the UN as a “small side step” in a foreign policy “that leans more towards the Israeli side” and strongly aligned with the United States.
Justin Trudeau also described this week as “problematic” the “suggestion of equivalence” that he sees in the ICC prosecutor’s request targeting both Israeli and Hamas officials, repeating in his words a criticism of US President Joe Biden.
Possible slippage
“There was always this balance in Canada, between being a friend of Israel while recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian population to their desire for national affirmation. [Mais] we sense a worrying shift on the part of the federal government, a move away from this policy,” criticizes Richard Marceau, vice-president of the Advisory Center for Jewish and Israeli Relations (CIJA).
The former member of the Bloc Québécois between 1997 and 2006 argues that it is “extremely difficult for Quebecers” to grasp the reality of the Israeli people, constantly under threat from “people who are fundamentally evil and who have a genocidal desire “.
“We see the [civils de Gaza] innocent people killed, injured, it’s horrible. People say it has to stop, and on the one hand I agree with that. [Mais] when a group like Hamas says it would repeat the October 7 attacks if it had the chance […] then it must be eradicated. »
Some Liberal and Conservative elected officials attended the speeches at the event organized in Ottawa by the Israeli embassy, under the strong presence of Parliament’s security service. Montreal MP Anthony Housefather took the floor to invite elected officials to “raise awareness among their colleagues” about the importance of supporting Israel. “You need the support of representatives of all parties in Parliament,” he advised the audience.
Canada recognized the State of Israel upon its founding in 1948, and the two countries established formal diplomatic relations on May 11, 1949.
On Thursday, the UN Food Agency said humanitarian operations in Gaza are “close to collapse”, a result of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and the closure of border crossings.