The recent incidents of the occupied Palestinian regions, including the Ghaza Strip, have left reverberations in Canadian politics. Canadian officials have often confirmed their unwavering support for their close ally, Israel. They have, however, demanded that Israel cease its annexation and settlement plans, to protect Palestinian civilians, and to ignore the US request of moving the embassy to Jerusalem and of pronouncing Jerusalem capital of Israel…
Jagmeet Singh, leader of one of the opposition parties, the NDP, has called on the Canadian government to show how ready it is to stop arms sales to Israel; according to international and Canadian law, the weapons have been being used to commit human rights violations against Palestinians.
Singh’s addressing has embarrassed the Liberal government, exposing the real economic obligations Canada has taken on to Israel. Recently, Canada has exported $3.8 billion-worth weapons, including $13 million-worth military and digital ordnance, unmanned drones, munitions and bombs…
This completely matches the opposition to selling Canadian armoured vehicles, arms and munitions to Saudi Arabia, following proof they’ve been being used against the besieged Yemeni people. The opposition hasn’t, however, deterred the government from fulfilling agreements yielding hundreds of millions of dollars and maintaining thousands of jobs…
Thereupon, Trudeau’s government’s stances have been weak at denouncing killing Ghaza’s women and children, displacing the residents of Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, and attacking worshippers in Masjid ul-Aqsa during the Holy Month of Ramadhan.
A Liberal herself, Scarborough MP Salma Zahid has tabled a petition signed by over 20 MPs from different parties and two senators. The petition calls on PM Trudeau to make a clearer, firmer stance on the aggressions against the Palestinian people, and to work to guarantee an independent Palestinian state, as relevant international resolutions state.
Singh’s and the NDP’s position might have been encouraged by the great public support for Palestinian rights, which has been reflected by large marches in the Canadian cities, and by the statements made by unions of postal workers, artists, academics, teachers and others. The outcomes of the NDP conference held in April as well match Singh’s current position.
In the meantime, Trudeau’s official stance won’t be easy to make, as it’s governed by trade and economic interests. Fear of the Zionist lobby is, as well, being exaggerated; the lobby has mastered intimidating politicians to prevent them from realising the rapid changes in public opinion. After all, people are sick of the Israeli practices and aggressiveness and of the continuous justifications made by the biggest Western countries, which have vowed to take different measures to protect the Israeli aggressors and their entity, ignoring the Palestinians’ most basic rights.
The Editors