Global Affairs Minister Freeland is known for her principled and courageous stands on human rights. Over the weekend, she was characteristically frank about Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians and demanded an immediate investigation. Read more…
WARNING: A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKED THIS SATIRICAL APRIL FOOL’S POST. BUT A SURPRISING NUMBER TOOK IT AT FACE VALUE AND EVEN SHARED IT WITH FRIENDS AS IF IT WERE TRUE. IN FACT, NEITHER MS. FREELAND NOR MR. TRUDEAU MADE ANY COMMENT ABOUT THE TERRIBLE EVENTS IN GAZA LAST WEEK.
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Ottawa, April 1
Global Affairs Canada minister Chrystia Freeland took time off from lecturing Russia on the necessity of human rights and a “rules based order” in connection with the alleged poisoning of 2 individuals in England, to denounce Israel’s massacre of 17 unarmed Palestinians who were demonstrating for the Right of Return on March 30.
“Israeli forces used snipers, tanks firing artillery shells and drones firing tear gas,” noted the minister.
“The death toll is currently 17 people. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 1,416 people were wounded on March 30 alone: 758 from live fire, 148 from rubber-tipped bullets, 422 from inhaling tear gas and 88 from other causes. Palestinian officials said that one was killed and 237 wounded in Rafah; four were killed and 345 wounded in southern Gaza; five were killed and 286 wounded in northern Gaza; two were killed and 197 wounded in central Gaza; and three were killed and 351 wounded in Khan Younis,” she continued.
“Canada is in support of international law and the UN system”, said Prime Minister Trudeau. “This is a blatant violation of international law which codifies the Right of Return,” he pointed out. “If the same thing happens again next week, Canada will cut off diplomatic relations with Israel, recognize Hamas and officially join the movement to boycott Israel known as BDS”.
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APRIL FOOLS!!
I beg readers for indulgence. I was a little late in getting my April 1st message into print.
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
If this is a April fool’s joke, it is in VERY BAD taste.
I’m sorry you think so, Jonathan. What I think is bad taste is Trudeau and Freeland avoiding ANY comment on the massacre. The best Canada could do was a statement from our representative in Ramallah who urged “restraint” without indicating who should be restrained.
You seriously made this an april fools joke
This is sick and twisted in my opinion
There is nothing funny about what just happened in the march of right of return. Unarmed marchers were murdered and shot with illegal butterfly bullets so that they would have arms and legs amputated. The people are being slaughtered. No weapons. Women and children and elders as well. What is so funny about that ??
Hey Debora, you are right, there was absolutely nothing funny about what happened. It was a slaughter. What was equally atrocious was that the Liberals got all excited over two Russian spies who were allegedly killed in England by Russians, while saying nothing about 17 Palestinians who were openly and brazenly killed by Israeli forces.
I think it’s in bad taste too Peter. Sorry to pile on. People are dying. There is nothing funny in the fact that they remain silent. There is no humour in the pretense of them doing the right thing.
I don’t question your motives, values or that you were sincere in your attempt.
We need to focus a lot lot less on whether this was funny or not and change things so that someday it will be a realistic news report.
Hey Anonymous, Thanks for commenting. Opinion was divided, and I respect yours. Perhaps it was clumsy. But as I see it, any attempt to raise the issue of the deaths, and the underline the shameful hypocritical silence of the Liberals is valid. The demonstrations go on, and so do the shootings and killings. Out of respect for the dead, we can’t let this issue lie. They are demanding the “Right to return’. It is a human right supported by the UN.
I would say Peter’s post is in no more bad taste than was Jonathan Swift’s clever but angry A Modest Proposal. It illustrates the Canadian government’s disregard of the massacre in a very pointed way, sure to catch the attention of the reader.
@Peter
” any attempt to raise the issue of the deaths, and the underline the shameful hypocritical silence of the Liberals is valid. ”
In that we can agree.I’m sure JT doesn’t read his own messages but that won’t stop me from writing him and pointing this fact out.
I was told that Jagmeet Singh tweeted …
“I am shocked by the violence in Gaza. The Canadian government must call on Israel to abide by its responsibilities under international law and call for an independent investigation. The killing, human rights violations and blockade must end.”
I hope that’s true.
It would all mean something if he proposed and supported specific measures. Like BDS.
I’ve seen that very tweet. Full marks to him.
I’ve included it in a comment.
My jaw was on my computer,in awe at this volteface.Then …reality!
Wow that is awesome position of the federal government . And you were did not think they can do any good .
What a fake news that i hope one day we have a desciplain government who is willing to take a firm and principled position.
Nice April fools Peter.
When are you traveling ….. You should have joined the delegation to be their guide and engage them.on serious discussion ….. Cheers Essam
Sent from my Windows 10 phone
🤔Because it’s late it did the trick
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
It is absolutely unacceptable for a government that boasts about a foreign policy based on human rights and international law to be struck mute by this massacre. Trudeau and Freeland should apply for jobs as apologists for the Israeli government. At this moment it is shameful to be Canadian.
I admit I was April Fooled.
Only the deafening silence from Trudeau and Freeland on the Gaza massacre. I hope Canadians who care about human rights and international law will write to them urging to speak out against Israel’s actions.
Dagnabbit! You had me going Peter! Even me. That’s how much we would all want to read something like this!
Do you think it would do any good to write an email to Chrystia Freeland?
Yes.. a little bit. Make sure to copy your own MP.
Thank you Peter for at least highlighting these horrific attacks on peaceful demonstrators in the same vain that Canada consistently takes when asked to stand up and criticize Israel’s excessive use of force when dealing with Palestinians – like a bad joke.
Sorry, Peter. I did not find this funny. I love everything else you’re posting. Maybe follow this up with some gleanings from the Canadian press on why our government is so quiet about Israel’s excessively violent response.
Yes, unfortunately this was FAKE NEWS.
It appears that some people did not read to the end.
Sorry for those who got their hopes up. But NO Canadian politician made a statement anywhere as strong as the one in the post, and certainly not Trudeau’s liberals who now style themselves as “steadfast allies and friends of Israel”.
To their credit the NDP and Greens did tweet comments about the massacre.
@theJagmeetSingh Apr 1
“I am shocked by the violence in Gaza. The Canadian government must call on Israel to abide by its responsibilities under international law and call for an independent investigation. The killing, human rights violations and blockade must end. Eighteen protesters dead, hundreds injured. Why is the Trudeau government silent on the violence in Gaza? ”
From GPC
“Greens support international calls for an independent inquiry into the killings, no more Canadian arms shipments to Israel and ending the Israeli occupation and blockade.”
Human rights activists will have to do quite a bit more public education in Canada before we see the kind of comment satirically attributed to Ms. Freeland.
The Canadian gouvernement’s silence makes it complicit in the atrocities of the Israeli crimes.
Instead the gouvernement should be steadfast in supporting all human rights. It is about time.
You fooled me too Peter, as I really thought our foreign minister might have branched out from the conflict with Russia. There was a time in Global affairs history when Canadian minsters commented on events like the Gaza fence killings, even if in a scrupulously balanced fashion expressing regret and calling for restraint. Too bad but we have now only our Ramallah rep to do this and as well appeal for “political dialogue.” Have not seen anything from our ambassador or the embassy in Tel Aviv which did issue a tweet of regret when the young rabbi and family members were killed a few weeks ago..you would think that the Govt could be more creative in putting forward some kind of plan or vision of a settlement – perhaps a two state solution of Israel and Palestine with their capitals in West and East Jerusalem respectively and appropriate for this Passover Easter season some sort of shared international regime.for the holy sites – but they seem uninterested in actually advancing any idea.