On March 21st, UNJPPI wrote a letter to Prime Minister Carney with the subject ” Canada’s Silence in the Face of Israel’s Blocking Aid to Gaza and Then Bombing Gaza “

Excerpt:

… There is ever-mounting anger and disgust in Canada and throughout the world over what Israel is doing to Palestinians, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. What we find truly puzzling is Canada’s silence and inaction in response to distressing events there.

A change in Prime Minister provides an important opportunity to adjust our country’s course. In world affairs, hopefully this means taking actions that strengthen international law and the international institutions that visionary Canadian leaders helped create. These include the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. To this end, some of the questions we urge you to ask are the following:

• Why has Canada not yet recognized the State of Palestine, as over 75% of UN member states have done?

• Why has Canada not publicly called on Israel to immediately end its occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza (the ‘OPT’) in line with the 19 July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice which stated the occupation is unlawful?

• Why has Canada not terminated the Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA), or at least amended it to exclude products from illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT in response to the 18 September 2024 UN General Assembly resolution?…