By Henry Srebrnik, [Saint John, N.B.] Telegraph-Journal
Canada recognized the State of Israel upon its founding in 1948, and the two countries established formal diplomatic relations on May 11, 1949. Canada and Israel have developed an exceptional bilateral relationship based on mutual cooperation in a number of key strategic areas.
They have close political, economic, social and cultural ties. Support for Israel, especially its right to live in peace and security with its neighbours, has been at the core of Canada’s Middle East policy since 1948.
But Canada also recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination and supports the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic and territorially contiguous Palestinian state, as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement.
Canada enjoys positive relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA), the governmental entity in the West Bank and Gaza. In accordance with the 1993 Oslo Accords, Canada’s representative office in Ramallah has responsibility for managing the Government of Canada’s relationship with the PA.
The Palestinian General Delegation, which opened in Ottawa in 1995, represents Palestinian interests in Canada. But Canada has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization pursuant to the Canadian Criminal Code. The Government of Canada has no contact with Hamas.
Traditionally, Canada has been one of Israel’s most stalwart allies on the international stage, often voting against one-sided resolutions targeting the Jewish state. But Israel’s recent election has brought Benjamin Netanyahu back to power, leading to the most right-wing coalition in the country’s history. In exchange for their support, the three ultra-conservative parties who have allied themselves with Netanyahu’s Likud have demanded a harder line on relations with the Palestinians.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, a lawmaker known for his extreme views, has the job of Minister of National Security, a position that will put him in charge of Israel’s national police force. This includes the paramilitary border police, a unit on the front lines of the fighting with Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The rise of this radical right will damage the image of Israel as an open, tolerant society.
So far, Canada’s votes at the UN in support of Israel has aligned it with a very small group of like-minded countries, while most of Canada’s allies lined up on the other side. That’s because “Canada opposes initiatives at the United Nations and in other multilateral forums that unfairly single out Israel for criticism,” Global Affairs spokesperson Grantly Franklin told CBC News. “Canada rejects one-sided resolutions at such forums that seek to politicize such issues.”
Allies such as Australia and Germany have shifted their voting patterns in recent years away from Israel. That trend may accelerate now that the new Israeli government may pursue actions such as building more settlements or changing the status quo around access to holy sites in Jerusalem.
Already December 2020, Canada had voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution that supported Palestinian self-determination while denouncing Israel’s presence in Jerusalem, characterizing it as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The resolution, co-sponsored by North Korea, also condemned Israel’s security barrier by claiming it “severely impedes the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”
The vote passed 167-5 with 11 abstentions. Canada’s vote went against its own record over two decades in opposing the annual targeting of Israel through 20 one-sided resolutions, according to the Geneva-based U.N. Watch.
It seems many of Canada’s diplomats, with their “anti-settler” ideology, don’t look too kindly on the Jewish state, according to documents released this past September via Access to Information legislation and obtained by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), a pro-Palestinian group. The released documents cover the period leading up to Canada’s 2019 decision to resume its support for Palestinian self-determination at the UN.
In this report, CJPME looked at how Canadian officials really view Canada’s UN voting record and urges Canada to support all resolutions which aim to uphold Palestinian human rights. Many of Canada’s career foreign affairs officials maintain that too-uncritical support of Israel contradicts its own values and interests and harms its international reputation.
The released documents include a memo from Global Affairs Canada officials which recommends that Canada end its uniformly pro-Israel approach at the UN. In that memo, officials admit that Canada has been voting against UN resolutions on Palestinian rights “without considering the specific merits of each resolution,” and “despite their alignment with Canadian values, interests, and standard positions.”
The memo identified several votes on Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, and Palestinian refugees, that would likely change if Canada didn’t automatically oppose such motions as a package.
Officials also described Canada’s pro-Israel voting record as a liability to its international reputation, noting that it has “has set us apart from like-minded countries” and attracts criticism from UN member states. Canada’s representatives to the UN in New York, as well as officials working on UN Security Council issues, had been pushing for Canada to adopt an entirely “merit-based approach” to resolutions on this issue, which would have resulted in more votes in support of Palestinians.
With the incoming Israeli government, the international campaign against Israel, which seeks to criminalize the country, will become more energized. This will certainly have an impact on Canadian-Israeli relations and could put further strain on the Trudeau government’s diplomatic position. There’s a rocky road ahead.
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