While many Liberal MPs applaud the Trudeau government’s change of position on a ceasefire in Gaza, other elected officials feel disappointed, even betrayed.
Montreal MP Anthony Housefather, of Jewish faith, made no secret of being “very disappointed” with Canada’s support for a resolution presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).
“I think we supported a resolution that points the finger at Israel, abandons Israel and our traditional ally the United States at a time when Israel is at war,” he said in a press scrum Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, the Canadian government voted for a resolution demanding in particular “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The Montreal MP dodged the question as to whether he intends to remain in the ranks of the Liberals after this about-face. “Since I was a teenager, my beliefs have generally been for the Liberal Party. I am disappointed with the vote, let’s stay on this subject,” he replied, visibly hesitant.
“I will continue to be the MP for Mount Royal, that’s for sure,” he said.
At the same time, in the corridors of Parliament, other Liberal MPs strongly welcomed this decision.
“It is a position that reflects what Canadians want to see at this time of the crisis,” commented the Minister of Public Services, Jean-Yves Duclos. He says he does not fear resignations within the party, emphasizing his conviction that the Liberal caucus remains “very solid”.
Division with the United States
The day after the government’s vote at the UN General Assembly, no Conservative MP — nor leader Pierre Poilievre — commented on the matter publicly. In a statement sent to Duty Late Tuesday, the party made no mention of the ceasefire.
Conservative senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu was the only one to speak out on Wednesday morning, telling journalists that he would have voted against the resolution the day before. “A ceasefire without Hamas’ total surrender is like a license to start again,” he maintains.
The latter also believes that Canada should have been aligned with the position of the Americans. Twenty-three countries abstained from Tuesday’s vote, and only ten opposed it, including Israel and the United States.
“We are already [défaillants] in our armed forces, in our protection of the Arctic, in our contribution to NATO… I don’t think we played a good card,” said the senator.
The Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, does not fear that the decision will undermine diplomatic relations with the United States. “Canada is a sovereign country. We make our own decisions,” he commented.
Late, but “better than nothing”
Did the government wait too long before saying it was in favor of a ceasefire? Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury agrees. The elected official from Laval — Les Îles confides that he has received many calls and emails from mixed citizens in his constituency: “ [Ils] tell me it’s a little late for Canada, but better than nothing. »
“They wanted a ceasefire from the start [du conflit]. I was trying to explain that it was difficult, with everything that happened. But now I think the [climat s’améliore] and people hope to find peace again,” he added.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not stop on Wednesday to speak to journalists, as he regularly does before meeting with his caucus. “It’s nice to see you, everyone,” he said simply as he left the premises.
With Boris Proulx