(Ottawa) A Liberal MP from Montreal believes that his government should “name things clearly” regarding the bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army.
“We must clearly recognize that the bombs fall on innocent children, adults, elderly people, who are dropped by the Israeli military. A butcher’s shop, that’s what it is,” declared the Liberal elected official for Pierrefonds—Dollard, Sameer Zuberi, on Wednesday, wiping his tears in front of journalists.
Mr. Zuberi, who was questioned on the way to the liberal caucus meeting, poorly hid his discomfort with the position of his political party the day after an explosion which reportedly left nearly 500 dead in a hospital in Gaza, according to Hamas.
“I am a member of the party that forms the government,” he replied when asked whether Ottawa should call for a ceasefire rather than reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself in the limits of international humanitarian law.
Likewise, the MP, a Muslim, lawyer by training and former soldier trained in the Geneva conventions, refused to say whether Israel is committing war crimes, or even genocide, not without broadly emphasizing the relevance of the question.
” It’s a good question. We have to ask the question, Mr. Zuberi said, his voice trembling. To say that in my capacity as a deputy, I do not want to do that. But I think we need to ask this question clearly. »
Other fault lines with the official position of Justin Trudeau’s government can be observed among the Liberal troops. “A ceasefire must be demanded,” said MP Shafqat Ali.
Mr. Ali, who represents a suburban Toronto riding, insisted that “history shows that violence has never solved problems.”
And he did not hesitate to say that “of course” Israel, like Hamas, violates international humanitarian law. “Bombarding hospitals, civilians, by anyone is not respecting international law,” he added.
The idea of calling for a ceasefire, however, is far from gaining consensus among liberals.
“Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel was attacked by a terrorist group,” replied MP Anthony Housefather, who is Jewish.
Manitoba MP Ben Carr also rejected the proposal since Hamas “continues to hold hostages it took from Israel during the attack” and the organization designated as terrorist by Canada “will simply rebuild and Israel will still be threatened.”
So far, the New Democratic Party is the only federal party recognized in the House of Commons to call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.