My Friends,

These last five months have been a devastating time for the Palestinian people. Canada has continued to work towards a lasting peace in the region, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages by Hamas.

A Motion introduced by MP Heather McPherson will be voted on in the House on March 18th. The Motion makes clear many of the tragedies of the conflict:

• An acknowledgment of Hamas’ terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people;
• The hostages who remain in Hamas’ captivity;
• The death toll surpassing 30,000 men, women, and children;
• The displacement of millions of residents;
• The desperate need for aid to stop starvation, death, and disease;
• The International Court of Justice’s initial ruling;
• The mental toll on Palestinians and Palestinian-Canadians with family in the region; and
• The hate motivated crimes that have crossed into our borders.
  
  

I will be voting in favour of this motion, but I hope the statement I have prepared will show that, while I wholeheartedly support the spirit of humanitarianism and compassion that is reflected, I am disappointed to see disinformation and partisan exploitation make its way into this Motion. This conflict cannot be used as a wedge issue, and politicising my vote, or the vote of my colleagues, will not help anyone. We need to stop playing politics with this war and help the civilians who have carried the burden.

I have listed a response to each of the requests of the Motion in the order they are presented: 

(a) demand an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages;

I fully support an immediate ceasefire. I have released several statements calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

(b) suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas;

This has been one of the main points of disinformation propagated by many groups, social media accounts, and even political parties that should know better. We are not dealing arms or weapons to Israel, or any military technology used for lethal purposes. 

I refer to the statement made by Global Affairs Canada: 

"In recent years, the government has not received, and therefore not approved, any export permits for weapons to Israel. The permits issued since October 7th, and in fact all permits that are currently open, are for non-lethal equipment.”

(c) immediately reinstate funding and ensure long-term continued funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and support the independent investigation;

April was, and still is, the next payment period for the UNRWA, but, due to the seriousness of the allegations, our government needed to know more about this issue to ensure the aid supporting the Palestinian people was not being diverted by Hamas. Canada became privy to information that made us confident in continuing our payments to UNRWA, and we will always be diligent in making sure our aid gets to the people who need it. 

Despite a narrative that without the UNRWA, aid would not be provided, Canada continued to increase funding and aid packages. This decision to consider relocating funding to different providers has been portrayed as a withholding of aid, which is misleading.

(d) support the prosecution of all 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;

While the court has made an initial ruling, no final decision has been made. I support the ICJ’s investigation, and will fully support the final decision.

(e) demand unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza;

I support this point, but a wider scope is needed when addressing the issue. Other nations need to cooperate to allow Palestinians out, and let the aid in, but we also need to approach the matter with the understanding that those nations have full authority over their borders.

(f) ensure Canadians trapped in Gaza can reach safety in Canada and lift the arbitrary cap of 1,000 temporary resident visa applications;

1,000 is not a cap, it is a start. Canada will help as many Palestinians as we can, and we have no intention of leaving Canadians in Gaza. We have been working from day one of this conflict to get citizens out and help the people of Gaza, but, as I previously mentioned, we are limited due to the neighbouring countries who have authority over their borders. This issue has also become another unfortunate piece of disinformation.

(g) ban extremist settlers from Canada, impose sanctions on Israeli officials who incite genocide, and maintain sanctions on Hamas leaders;

On February 14th, The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, released the following statement: 

“Canada is concerned by the Government of Israel’s announcement that it will attempt to retroactively legalize nine illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank, as well as its plans to pursue the construction of new housing in existing settlements… Canada strongly opposes the expansion of settlements. Such unilateral actions jeopardize efforts to achieve comprehensive, just and lasting peace. This has been Canada’s longstanding policy.” 

The Prime Minister also made it clear: 

“Settlements and settler violence are serious obstacles to a negotiated two-state solution.” 

Canada will always defend human rights around the world, and we condemn any calls for harm against civilians.

(h) advocate for an end to the decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories and work toward a two-state solution; and

(i) officially recognize the State of Palestine and maintain Canada’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist and to live in peace with its neighbours.

Canada supports a two-state solution. There is no other route to peace in the Middle East. However, both parties must come together to bring about these independent states, as it cannot be accomplished without the full cooperation of Jewish and Muslim leadership. Canada has been an ally to Muslim and Jewish communities in Canada and across the world for decades. We cannot pretend this issue is a simple one. We must do what we can to bring both sides together to achieve peace in the Middle East.

I believe a two-state solution is the only option to move forward from this horrific time in Israeli-Palestinian history. Many believe that this is not possible, given the destruction and hate that has festered over these last months. However, I trust in a solution that would see an independent state of Israel living side-by-side with an independent state of Palestine.

It has become clear to many that a resolution to this conflict cannot be achieved through war and violence, but only through diplomacy and peace. 

The history of this conflict is long and painful, with untold devastation inflicted on generations. The safety and security of the Palestinian people should be at the forefront of all decisions, and I will continue to look for solutions here in Canada. 

Thank you,

Bryan May, MP