Foreign Minister Cites ‘Issues’ With NDP Motion on Palestinian Statehood but Doesn’t State Gov’t’s Position

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly responds to questions from reporters in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill after Question Period, in Ottawa on Feb. 29, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says foreign policy cannot be dictated by an Opposition motion, but she stopped short of clearly indicating whether her government will support the NDP’s attempt to have the House of Commons recognize a Palestinian state.

Ms. Joly spoke on the motion during her speech in the House on March 18, but she didn’t spell out how the government would vote. Her remarks led NDP and Conservative MPs to ask for clarification.

Ms. Joly said her government’s position has been “clear,” citing the need for a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a humanitarian ceasefire, and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. She also said there are “issues” with the NDP motion, adding that “we can’t change foreign policy based on an Opposition motion.”

The ongoing war in Gaza has caused a rift within the Liberal caucus since Hamas attacked Israel last fall, and MPs remain divided going into the vote, which is expected to take place in the coming days.

Liberal MPs such as Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino have been steady defenders of Israel, while Liberal MPs such as Salma Zahid and Shafqat Ali have been pushing for a ceasefire. Ms. Zahid and Mr. Ali have both said they will back the NDP motion.

All of the Opposition parties have stated their position on the matter and are expected to vote in blocs. The Bloc Québécois says it will support the motion, while the Conservatives will oppose it.

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The NDP motion, tabled by MP Heather McPherson, acknowledges Israel’s right to exist but calls to “officially recognize the State of Palestine.”

It also calls on Ottawa to advocate for an end to the “decades-long occupation” of Palestinian territories and work toward a two-state solution.

The two-state solution has been the long-established position of successive governments, but the recent conflict has dimmed short- and medium-term prospects.

Israel has waged an extensive military campaign inside the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas. The group, considered a terrorist entity by the Canadian government, conducted a raid into Israel on Oct. 7, killing and kidnapping hundreds of civilians.

Ms. McPherson said the international community has completely failed to stop the “unfolding carnage” in Gaza. She also said the Liberal government has failed to “stand up for what is right,” such as international law and peace.

Motion Demands Ceasefire, UNRWA Funding

Along with asking the House to recognize a Palestinian state, Ms. McPherson’s motion also demands an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, the reinstating of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and the suspension of trade in military goods and technology with Israel.

The Liberal government already announced March 8 it would reinstate UNRWA’s funding. Funds to the main UN agency supporting Palestinians were suspended in January after allegations surfaced that its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.

Ottawa initially said it would wait for the outcome of the investigation into the matter before reinstating funding but changed course, citing the degrading humanitarian situation. Even though funds were technically suspended, no scheduled payments were missed and the measure had no practical effect.

Ms. Joly also confirmed a March 14 Toronto Star report that the transfer of military hardware has been suspended since January. The outlet reported that applications for permits to export material such as night vision goggles were put on hold because of concerns they could be used to commit human rights violations.

“Given the rapidly evolving situation on the ground, the Foreign Affairs Ministry didn’t approve any permits since Jan. 8, since we couldn’t confirm the respect of human rights and the respect of our export regime’s criteria,” she said.

Conservative Party MPs speaking on the NDP motion said they oppose funding UNRWA. Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman said providing funding to the organization would not bankrupt Canada in a “fiscal sense, but in a moral sense.”

“The price of abandoning our values, our allies and reason: that is the true cost of these payments,” she said.

MP Michael Chong, the Tory foreign affairs critic, said focus should be on Hamas instead of Israel, calling it the only party to blame for the conflict. “Hamas today can unconditionally surrender, release all of the remaining 130 or so hostages, and lay down all its arms.”

Mr. Chong said his party supports a two-state solution, but that it cannot be achieved through “some sort of unilateral declaration” in the House.

Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron spoke in favour of the NDP’s motion, saying it contains many elements previously supported by his party. “Hence, we need to be coherent,” he said.

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said he spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 18 about the NDP motion. He said passing the motion would be “counter-productive” to regional security and “ultimately reward terrorism” in light of the Hamas massacre.

“I reiterated to the PM that for the sake of the region, any unilateral actions should be avoided,” he said.

The call with Mr. Gantz does not appear on Mr. Trudeau’s itinerary and a readout of the call was not immediately available.