Speech by Minister Joly regarding the motion on “Canada’s actions to promote peace in the Middle East”

March 18, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy. 

Mr. Speaker, I welcome debate during this pivotal moment for the region and the world.

I rise having just returned from visiting the Middle East, where I met with my counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Of course, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the path towards peace were at the top of our agenda.

These conversations were not always easy. We don’t all share the same perspective, but we all share the goal of peace and stability in the region. And so, we must be pragmatic and find a way forward, together.

While in Israel, we visited Yad Vashem, the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust, one of the world’s darkest chapters.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the persecution of the Jewish people did not start or end with the Holocaust.

Before the creation of Israel, Jewish communities around the world struggled to find a place to call home. A place where they could feel safe.

A place where they could live in security. A place where their human rights would be respected. A place where they could live with dignity, have a family, and build their future without fear.  

For the Jewish people, Israel is that home.

On October 7, Israelis saw their sense of security and confidence in their institutions shaken. And for many, shattered.

The Hamas terrorist attack was the deadliest against Israel since its creation in 1948. 1,200 people were killed by Hamas and more than 240 were kidnapped.

To this day, some 134 of them remain in captivity in Gaza. 134 families desperate for them to return to their arms.

Mr. President, you could not find a single person in Israel who doesn't know or love someone who was killed or kidnapped on that fateful day. And believe me, you can feel the weight of that trauma on every street in Israel.

We therefore unequivocally condemn Hamas once again for the terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7.

We also travelled south to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the first communities to be attacked by Hamas on October 7^th.

There I met Ayelet, the mother of Netta, a Canadian who was killed protecting his fiancé. Ayelet walked us through her neighbourhood and recounted the agonizing massacres of October 7.

She described the chaos of not understanding what was happening. Of friends and family breathlessly running from house to house, passing those that had been set on fire, looking for their loved ones.

But in many cases, it was too late. They had already been killed.

And while we bore witness to the horrors of October 7^th, we could hear and feel the shudders of bombs falling on Gaza nearby, followed by the unmistakable peppering of gunfire.

That moment, the duality of tragedy befalling the Israeli and Palestinian people, was profound.

It was a moment that will stay with me forever.

Since October 7th, more than 31,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza. Approximately 70% of are women and children.

1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced and even more are at risk of starvation, disease and death.

I sat down with humanitarian workers who described the crisis in Gaza as the worst they have ever seen in their careers.

They have witnessed mothers undergoing C-sections without anesthetic. The desperation of children asking for food as they drive past. And the despair of children who are now orphans.

Mr. Chairman, it's fair to say that every single Palestinian family tree has been severed by violence since October 7. This is clear from our conversations in Ramallah.

In the midst of this tragedy, Palestinians in the West Bank are confronted with increasingly frequent and intense acts of violence by extremist settlers.

These acts of violence alone have claimed the lives of over 300 Palestinians and displaced more than 1,000 others since October 7.

We spoke to one family who was forced from their home by Israeli settlers and denied access to their farm, which is vital to their survival.

Mr. President, we are firmly opposed to this violence, and we will punish those responsible. Palestinians continue to struggle for their self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian State. A state where they could feel safe. A state where they could live in security. A state where their human rights would be respected. A state where they could live with dignity, have a family, and build their future.  

Palestinians struggle for a home of their own.

Mr. Speaker, this crisis has exposed cracks and deepened the wounds of society on both sides.

It is fuelled by dehumanization.

And when we don’t see the humanity in others, injustice falls onto the shoulders of innocents.

This pain has extended throughout the region, and here are at home.

In Canada, we mourn the loss of 8 Canadians killed on October 7th. Countless Canadian families mourn the loss of their loved ones in both Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

In Canada and around the world, we have witnessed a sharp rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Muslim and Jewish communities are targets of physical and verbal attacks.

They have been harassed on the streets and online, barred from their places of worship, and made to feel unsafe in their schools.

This is not the promise of our country. 

Our government will continue to strongly denounce and condemn all forms of discrimination and racism, which have no place in Canada.

Beyond the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, this conflict has polarized our society and is testing the strength of our social cohesion.

We are all entangled in a web of devastation, and face pressure to pick sides.

Forced to believe that if we speak up for one side then surely, we are against the other.

For us, it is not that simple.

Mr. Chairman, given the current state of affairs, I doubt there will be any winners.

There will only be victims and survivors who will forever mourn their losses.

With the current level of destruction we have seen, it will take years to rebuild.

Rebuilding Gaza will require our help. Canada will be there.

Canada will be there to help, especially with health infrastructures and children's hospitals. 

It will take decades, and generations, to uncover and process the trauma experienced by Israelis and Palestinians.

That's why, in this tragedy, I will always take the side of human dignity and the protection of Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

We owe it to the Palestinians and Israelis who have been abandoned for decades because no lasting solution has been found to this conflict.

Beyond this failure, terrorists and extremist voices are now controlling the spotlight while blocking the future of Israelis and Palestinians alike.

And that's without mentioning the wider repercussions on the Middle East. 

We have no choice. We have to do better.

In Canada, our position is rooted in three principles:

1. The right for Israel to exist, and by extension defend itself, in accordance with humanitarian law;
2. The protection of civilians; and
3. The right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

We fully recognize these principles are in tension with each other right now, but we must remain committed to all of them.

The violence must end – an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed. And this ceasefire cannot be one sided. Hamas must lay down its weapons and release all hostages immediately.

The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza has never been greater. Rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief must be provided to civilians, now.

That is why Canada will participate in every single way to help.

Because of the urgency of the situation, we have resumed funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)[H-1] , while supporting efforts to reform the organization.  

We will contribute to the humanitarian sea corridor. We will support air drops.

We recognize this will not replace the urgent need for more access by land, and we will continue to press for it.  

We are gravely concerned by Israel’s plan for a ground military offensive into Rafah. About 1.5 million Palestinians are taking refuge in the area, including many of our citizens and their families.

Mr. Speaker, they have nowhere else to go. We’ve made it clear to the Israeli government that we urge them not to go down this path.

As far as the International Court of Justice is concerned, we fully recognize that the Court's interim measures are binding on both parties.

The Court has been clear: Israel must ensure the provision of basic services and essential humanitarian aid and must protect civilians.

Mr. Chairman, with regard to the export of controlled goods to Israel, I would like to reiterate that Canada has a very strict export permit regime, under which each application is examined on a case-by-case basis.

Since October 7, we have only approved permits for non-lethal goods.

And given the rapidly evolving situation on the ground, we have not approved any permits since January 8.

Mr. Chairman, the only way to achieve lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians is through a negotiated political solution.

And I believe Canada has a role to play.

Our diplomatic heritage is that of Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney. Of peacekeeping and bridge-building.

Today, we have a responsibility to build on this tradition.

Canada will remain committed to a two-state solution, including the creation of a Palestinian state, where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in peace, security, and dignity.

The long-term security of Israel, the normalization of relations in the Arab world, and the creation of a Palestinian state cannot be considered separately or in opposition of one another.

They are intertwined. We must recognize this and act on it.

And we are committed to being pragmatic and doing our part.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.