(Ottawa) Canada is among 14 countries that have issued a statement expressing concern over violence in the West Bank, calling on Israel to do more to end violence by “extremist settlers” against Palestinians.
“We strongly condemn the violent acts committed by extremist settlers, who terrorize Palestinian communities,” read the statement, published last Friday.
“Israel, as the occupying power, is required to protect the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,” he adds.
The United Nations says violence in the Palestinian territory in the West Bank, occupied by Israel, has increased at an unprecedented rate since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants prompted Israel to bomb the Gaza Strip.
Armed groups living in Israeli settlements, considered illegal under international law, have attacked Palestinians hundreds of times and forced more than 1,200 of them to leave their homes. The statement also claims that there have been 343 violent attacks since the beginning of October, which have killed eight Palestinian civilians.
Canada joined the European Union and 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and France, in issuing a statement Friday urging Israel to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks.
“Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute extremist settlers has reached an unprecedented level. This situation undermines security in the West Bank as well as the region and threatens prospects for lasting peace,” the statement said.
He notes that Israel pledged last month to take action against perpetrators of violence, but deplores the lack of “proactive measures” to fulfill this promise.
Global Affairs Canada posted Friday’s statement on its website, but did not share it on social media as it has often done with other joint statements with like-minded countries.
The Israeli embassy in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment Monday, but previously said Israel was doing everything possible to respond to the violence in the West Bank.
In an interview last week, Israel’s ambassador to Canada suggested that Israel give more weight to international concerns about its government policies, including violence in the West Bank, when expressed by countries that also provide more support. He gave the example of the United States deploying aircraft carriers in the region.
“We have a democratically elected government that is addressing issues, including violence in the West Bank, to the best of its ability. There can always be improvements. And I’m sure there must be improvements. But there is a path between observing reality and commenting on what it should look like,” Iddo Moed said on December 13.
“For Israel to take these comments seriously, I believe other countries must also show real interest and contribute to Israel’s well-being, security and future, as e.g. the Biden administration. »
The office of Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly did not respond to these comments on Monday.
The UN humanitarian agency says this year has been the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since it began recording casualties in 2005, partly due to Israeli military raids and airstrikes. Israel said it was targeting the militants in a bid to prevent armed resistance to the occupation from destabilizing the entire region.
The UK and US have recently imposed travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers. Two days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced this decision for his country, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller was asked whether Canada would follow suit.
Mr. Miller told reporters that Canada tends to approach these decisions from the perspective of criminal acts in general, rather than considering a group of people as unacceptable.
“We do not want people who have committed crimes, especially crimes of this egregious nature, given the geopolitical context, to enter Canada,” Mr. Miller said on December 7.
“Canada has generally taken a case-by-case approach, but this is information that we are working on with the United States,” said Minister Miller.
His office had no further details to add Monday.