(Ottawa) Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly lukewarmly welcomes the New Democratic motion calling, among other things, for official recognition of the Palestinian state.
“There are issues with the motion presented by the NDP [Nouveau Parti démocratique]and we cannot change foreign policy based on a motion from an opposition party,” she said Monday afternoon.
The motion is not “flawless”, but it is nevertheless “important”, the head of diplomacy continued in French, reiterating Canada’s support for a two-state solution, and emphasizing the need to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
When the minister spoke, towards the end of the first hour of debate in the Commons, relative calm had returned. Tempers quickly became heated: the exchanges were barely 30 minutes old when they were already taking an acrimonious turn.
Basically, a Liberal MP was accused of condoning the deaths of children in the Gaza Strip, and a New Democrat MP was accused of rewarding Hamas for its terrorist attacks on October 7.
Ahead of this vote, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, expressed his disapproval, particularly regarding the recognition of Palestine.
“Unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood rewards Hamas – a terrorist organization listed by the Government of Canada – for its sadistic October 7 attack carried out with the intention of annihilating the State of Israel,” he said. he declared in a press release
“Giving power to terrorists will only lead to more bloodshed and compromise any peaceful resolution of the conflict,” added the Jewish state’s envoy to Canada.
Currently, 139 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognize the State of Palestine.
The NDP motion is non-binding.
It must be put to the vote in the evening, Monday.
The nine demands of the NDP motion
- Demand an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
- Suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel and redouble efforts to end the illegal arms trade, including arms destined for Hamas.
- Immediately restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and ensure the sustainability of this funding, and support the independent investigation.
- Support the prosecution of all perpetrators of crimes and violations of international law committed in the region, and support the work of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
- Demand unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza.
- Ensure Canadians stuck in Gaza can safely return to Canada and lift the arbitrary cap of 1,000 temporary resident visa applications.
- Ban extremist settlers from entering Canada, impose sanctions on Israeli officials who incite genocide, and maintain sanctions against Hamas leaders.
- Advocate for an end to the decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories and work towards a two-state solution.
- Officially recognize the State of Palestine and maintain Canada’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist and live in peace with its neighbors.