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Canadian Political Parties stand with Jerusalem
12-13-2017
Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on the status of Jerusalem
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
‘‘Canada is a steadfast ally and friend of Israel and friend to the Palestinian people. Canada’s longstanding position is that the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute.
‘‘We are strongly committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel. We call for calm and continue to support the building of conditions necessary for the parties to find a solution.’’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear Thursday that Canada’s embassy in Israel would remain in Tel Aviv, breaking with his country’s neighbor and ally, the United States.
“We will not be moving Canada’s embassy from Tel Aviv,” Trudeau said during a visit to Guangzhou, China, broadcast nationally in Canada.
Conservative MP Erin O’Toole explained the Conservative party’s approach outside the House of Commons Thursday December 7th.
“We consider Israel as one of our closest and most important allies, and we certainly see the city of Jerusalem as being central to the state of Israel and the Jewish faith, and there’s a historic right of presence to the Jewish community in Jerusalem,” he said.
“We’re going to talk about this with caucus to make sure that we see what all countries are doing, see the timeline the U.S. are proposing and talk to stakeholders about how can we make sure that it’s clear Israel is a strong ally and friend of Canada but without destabilizing the situation.”
Back in in October 1979, nearly 40 years ago, Joe Clark’s Progressive Conservative government broke a campaign promise to move Canada’s embassy to Jerusalem citing fears of destabilization.
NDP Statement on President Trump’s Announcement on Jerusalem
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic, Hélène Laverdière, issued the following statement:
"President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is dangerous and misguided. His decision is contrary to international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and will certainly undermine attempts for a peace process. This decision has been condemned across the world, including by the UN and the governments of France, the UK, Sweden, Egypt, and Jordan.
This is a devastating day for those who believe in peace, justice and security in the Middle East.
Where is Canada’s voice in protest of this decision? New Democrats urge Canada to condemn this decision and formally démarche the American government."
Green Party of Canada condemns Trump’s move on Jerusalem, Canada’s weak response
The Green Party of Canada strongly opposes U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
“This decision by President Trump undermines the international consensus on this issue, and signals clearly to the world that this U.S. administration cannot serve as a broker of peace between the parties. A new approach to peace between Israel and Palestine is sorely needed, which must be based on adherence to international law,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
“Canada’s official policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rightly rejects Israel’s illegal annexation of East Jerusalem, and recognizes Israel’s settlements in East Jerusalem as violating the Fourth Geneva Convention. Trump's recklessness is already costing lives and worsening security in the region,” continued Ms. May.
“We call upon the Trudeau administration to use its diplomatic leverage to encourage the White House to reverse this dangerous and provocative move. I am confident Canadians of all political stripes acknowledge that Trump’s values fail to square with our own,” concluded Ms. May.
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