Last March, Canada’s foreign affairs minister Mme Melanie Joly assured Canadians she had pushed Israel to drop its planned reform of the judiciary, underscoring Canada’s support for the “rule of law”. But the case of Shadi Khouri, a 16 year old Palestinian in Jerusalem should raise questions about the ‘rule of law‘in Israel even before the proposed reforms. Read more…
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An unprecedented public debate has broken out among Canadian Jews about the ongoing protests in Israel and the role of various Jewish organizations in Canada. A lot of the fire has been aimed at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for attempting to stifle criticism of the right wing and anti-democratic agenda of the current Israeli government. A few of the critics have even raised the issue of equal rights for Palestinians. Read more.
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NOTE: David da Silva, Canada’s representative to the Palestinian Authority joined the meeting in Huwara along with other diplomats. Good.
But it appears his bosses in Ottawa wouldn’t allow him to sign the joint declaration which clearly said “settler violence is a result of Israels continued settlement activity.” da Silva’s tweet was good, but less clear about who was responsible.
What remains unclear is whether Canada or ANY of those signing the joint press release will take any action against Israel or whether the condemnations will remain devoid of consequence.
Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about Canada’s response to the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue with a focus on the truth, clear analysis and human rights for all. Readers with different points of view are invited to make comment.
Want to learn more about us? Go to Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine
Nablus, February 22, 2023. 10:00 a.m. Shops full. Kids in school. Armoured Israeli jeeps and other vehicles attempt to penetrate the city. Palestinian youth attempt to stop them. Throwing stones at vehicles, and blocking roads. (Photo credit: CNN) Israelis continue to penetrate. Final result? 10 Palestinians dead, over 100 injured, several seriously. We write to Canadian representative in OPT to ask for more information. Read more.
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China’s President Xi Jin Ping met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas when they were both in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in early December for a China-Arab summit. China has diplomatic relations with both Israel and Palestine and it backs a 2 state solution. But it has recently become more openly supportive of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people and critical of some of Israel’s actions. This must be unsettling for Israel’s American patron. Read more.
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Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 