Heather McPherson MP Calls on Minister Joly to recognize Palestine, impose sanctions and arms embargo, end arms loophole

Hon. Mélanie Joly
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Melanie.Joly@international.gc.ca

Delivered by email

September 23, 2024

Dear Minister Joly,
I write to you with urgency concerning Canada’s response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. According to UNOCHA, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the past eleven months, following the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7th in which 1200 Israelis were killed and many hostages were taken. Humanitarian workers tell us the situation in Gaza is the worst they have ever seen. Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. In the West Bank, settler violence against Palestinians has surged, while millions of Palestinians struggle to live with dignity under the decades-long Israeli occupation. In Lebanon, civilians are now terrified by indiscriminate attacks in their neighbourhoods. And in Israel, civilians face rockets and threat of further attacks from terrorist organizations including Hamas and Hezbollah.

As we await news on International Criminal Court arrest warrants on senior Hamas leaders and the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and as millions of people in the region fear further violence and escalation of a wider war, New Democrats are urging your government to take immediate action to end this ongoing violence.

Today we ask you to take three specific actions: recognize the State of Palestine, impose sanctions on Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide in Gaza and annexation in the West Bank, and impose a full and immediate arms embargo on Israel.

None of these actions require an act of Parliament. They are decisions that you, personally, can take today, as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Recognize the State of Palestine

In February, New Democrats tabled Motion M-113 in Parliament, urging the Canadian government to recognize the State of Palestine immediately.

For decades Palestinians have been subject to occupation, resulting in the denial of political and economic sovereignty and the right to move and live freely within what are considered to be Palestinian territories. 145 United Nations member states, including Norway, Ireland, and Spain, already recognize the State of Palestine.

Your government could recognize Palestine today, joining a growing number of governments around the world who understand the importance of moving peace and justice forward for Palestinians and for Israelis, who all deserve to live in safety and with full recognition of their human rights. Now is the time to show the moral courage necessary and take this crucial step towards peace.

Impose Sanctions on Israeli leaders and others who incite violence, genocide, and annexation

We urge Canada to immediately impose sanctions on key figures in the Israeli government who have incited genocide and violence, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich. It is not enough for your government to only sanction figures in the extremist settler movement. Canada must also sanction the political leaders who are directing the ongoing horror in Gaza and annexation in the West Bank.

New Democrats support Canadian sanctions on Hamas leaders. We urge Canada to do more to push for a ceasefire and hostage deal. We called on Canada to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group and supported Canadian government efforts to curb terrorism against all civilians in the region.
It is time for Canada to apply its values universally. If Canada truly supports the rules-based international order, you must take the necessary action to uphold that order: No impunity for terrorism. No impunity for incitement of genocide. No impunity for annexation. No matter the perpetrator.

Immediately Impose a Two-Way Arms Embargo on Israel and Close the US Loophole

The International Court of Justice has been clear: Canada must not be complicit in any violations of international law or human rights, including through arms transfers – either directly to Israel or through another country like the United States.

For years, New Democrats have asked the Liberal government to close the United States loophole that permits military goods and technology to be exported to countries that abuse human rights, without any export controls. Revelations that Quebec-made munitions were to be exported to Israel via the United States are further reason for the government to immediately close this loophole. Canadians do not know what similar deals may be planned or ongoing.

Moreover, your announcement that you have suspended thirty export permits for military goods and technology to Israel raises more questions than answers: Which permits have you suspended, and why haven’t you cancelled them outright? Which permits are ongoing? Why haven’t you issued a Notice to Exporters prohibiting these deals, as you promised in March?

Minister, we urge you to immediately impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel as the genocide of Gaza continues and as serious violations of human rights surge in the West Bank. Our demand for a two-way arms embargo reflects the voices of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have written to us, as well as civil society experts including humanitarian, human rights, and legal experts.

Minister, hundreds of thousands of Canadians from all walks of life are asking you to do better, for Palestinians and for Israelis. We all have constituents who have lost dozens of family members in this genocide, or whose loved ones were murdered or taken hostage on October 7th. We all have constituents who are seeking to bring their loved ones to safety and feel abandoned your government. We all have constituents fearing further escalation in the region, wondering if they will see their families again. Canadians are calling for an end to the genocide and an end to the occupation, and for a real peace process that will permit Israelis and Palestinians to be free of this horror.

Recognize the State of Palestine. Impose sanctions on Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide. Arms Embargo Now.

It is time to end Canada’s inaction and show moral courage.

Sincerely,
Heather McPherson
Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona
New Democratic Party Critic for Foreign Affairs and for International Development