On May 25th I wrote the following letter to Minister Joly:
Minister Joly,
Much has happened since MP McPherson’s motion was amended and endorsed by Parliament
in March. I wanted to follow up on three issues:
1. Recognition of Palestine: We should be working proactively with Norway, Ireland, Spain, and other like-minded countries to advance the recognition of Palestinian statehood.
This was a much-contested element in MP McPherson’s motion, and I understand why. Hamas is obviously a barrier to realizing Palestinian statehood in practice, and its terrorism should not be rewarded.
At the same time, a two-state solution requires two states.
I was encouraged to see the Prime Minister since suggest that we do not need to wait until the end of a negotiated process to recognize Palestine. As other countries like the UK have rightly and publicly acknowledged, Israel cannot be the gatekeeper of Palestinian self-determination given its opposition to a two-state solution.
We need to be an active part of international efforts to recognize the State of Palestine, to reconstruct Gaza, and to ensure the security of Israeli and Palestinian borders.
2. International rules-based order: Canada helped to create the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. We benefit from and have long contributed to the creation of a rules-based international order.
Just today, the ICJ has ordered Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governate” and to ensure “the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”
We should respect and abide by that rules-based international order and expect any ally to do the same. That includes the processes of the ICC and the ICJ. No one should be above the law.
3. Two-way arms embargo: I understand and appreciate that we have paused further approvals of arms exports to Israel, in keeping with our international and statutory obligations. However, two issues remain.
First, in keeping with those same obligations, there should be a review of already approved permits and a pause on further arms exports.
Second, to avoid complicity, we should halt arms imports where they have been battle-tested in a manner that may violate human rights.
I know you are seized with this humanitarian catastrophe every day. I would appreciate follow up from your team to better understand our approach going forward as it relates to these three issues.
I have also added my name to the Arms Embargo Now public letter to the Government of Canada. You can see the full list of MPs and organizations that have signed onto the letter here:
Prior to writing that letter, I wrote a substack post and I have recently recorded an episode of my Uncommons podcast on this topic. Please see www.uncommons.ca for more info.
https://www.uncommons.ca/p/the-conservatives-dont-want-a-ceasefire
I had intended to vote for the original draft of the NDP’s motion on March 18. As I told the CBC, “I think it emphasizes Canada’s role inG this, which is to focus on and preserve human rights and peace.”
https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7146032
This is in keeping with my previous public statements on the war. I wrote to Minister Joly on Oct. 14 to urge an end to the violence.
x.com/beynate/status/1713278616258150682
Subsequently, on Oct. 20, I joined 32 MPs to co-sign a letter calling for a ceasefire.
x.com/SalmaZahid15/status/1715422463859814881
At that time, it was apparent to me that we were likely to see an indiscriminate level of violence absent international pressure. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we’ve seen since.
In December, Canada joined 152 other countries to support a non-binding U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire.
cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-sustainable-ceasefire-israel-gaza-1.7056626
In a Joint Statement issued with the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, PM Trudeau noted:
We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah. A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic. About 1.5 million Palestinians are taking refuge in the area, including many of our citizens and their families. With the humanitarian situation in Gaza already dire, the impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating. We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go.
There is growing international consensus. Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community. The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.
An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed. Hostages must be released. The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza has never been greater. Rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief must be provided to civilians. The International Court of Justice has been clear: Israel must ensure the delivery of basic services and essential humanitarian assistance and must protect civilians. The Court’s decisions on provisional measures are binding.
We are clear that a sustainable ceasefire is necessary to finding a path towards securing lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Any ceasefire cannot be one sided. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages immediately. We again unequivocally condemn Hamas for its terror attacks on Israel on October 7.
Ultimately, a negotiated political solution is needed to achieve lasting peace and security. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand remain steadfast in their commitment to a two-state solution, including the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in peace, security, and dignity.”
Most recently, I joined parliamentary colleagues from the US, Germany and Canada to co-sign a renewed call for an immediate ceasefire.
beynate.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/israel-gaza_open_letter_final_closed.pdf
Subscribe to my substack or podcast at www.uncommons.ca to read and hear more.
Nate