Envoy asks Trudeau to recognize Palestinian sovereignty
The Palestinians’ top diplomat in Ottawa has urged Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government to formally recognize Palestine as a country, and return to Canada’s previously balanced position on the Middle East.
“We hope this new government will join the international community and recognize the state of Palestine,” Palestinian chargé d’affaires Hamdi Abu Ali said Thursday. “We are confident that Canada will start to see us as a people who want to join other nations in having their own independence and their own sovereignty.”
Relations between the Palestinians and Canada have been strained throughout the past decade, as the Conservative government’s unapologetically staunch support for Israel often put it at odds with Palestinian interests and concerns.
That included having Canada be one of only nine countries to oppose a symbolic UN motion recognizing Palestine’s statehood in 2012, and refusing to condemn Israel for building on territory largely recognized as belonging to the Palestinians. Most of the world considers such construction illegal.
In an exclusive interview with the Citizen, Abu Ali said Palestinians are hoping the arrival of a new Liberal government will turn the page on that chapter, and usher in a return to previous eras of co-operation and mutual respect between the two sides.
In one of his first speeches as prime minister-designate, Trudeau signalled to Canadians and the international community that Canada was “back” after a decade in which it had “lost its compassion and constructive voice in the world.” Abu Ali said that message offered hope to Palestinians.
“I hope he meant Canada will come back to really support those people living in fear, those people living in problem and those who need help,” the Palestinian diplomat said. “We see Canada as a strong nation that can offer its hand to us and help us from the problem we are in, not to push us back.”
Abu Ali said there are some concrete actions the new government can take to signal Canada’s change of heart. Those include clarity on if it views Israeli construction in the West Bank as illegal, and sending peacekeepers to defuse the wave of violence that has swept Jerusalem and the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the UN for such an intervention this week.
But what the Palestinians really want is formal recognition of the state of Palestine. While Canada’s longstanding position is that such recognition should only come after a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Abu Ali said Palestinians now believe such peace talks are officially dead.
Abu Ali blamed the recent violence, which has seen Palestinians randomly attack and kill 11 Israelis, and Israeli security forces killing 62 Palestinian assailants as well as protesters, as an expression of frustration over the stalled peace process. “It is basically an expression of no hope,” he said.
There are currently 136 countries that formally recognize the state of Palestine, with North America and Western Europe being the major holdouts. But one of the most recent countries to do so was Sweden, which hoped to empower moderate Palestinians and force Israel back to the table.
“Our hope is that Canada will see that we are a country, that we are a people who deserve a country,” Abu Ali said. “Our hope is the new Canadian government will recognize our rights as a nation. We hope the new Canadian government will give the Palestinians some sort of recognition, or full recognition.”
Trudeau has not said much about Palestine or the Middle East. During the election campaign’s only foreign policy debate, the Liberal leader said his biggest disagreement with the Conservative government’s position was it had “made support for Israel a domestic political football when all three (parties) support Israel.”
In March, he criticized a campaign on university campuses that encourages Canadians to boycott goods and services that come from Israeli companies based in the West Bank and other places claimed by the Palestinians. The United Church supported this boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign in October 2012.
Abu Ali said Canada’s three main parties have been clear on their support for Israel, particularly its right to exist. “We understand that,” he said. “What is missing, and what is not clear is their position on us. And that’s what we care about. We want to know: How do you see us?”
Envoy asks Trudeau to recognize Palestinian sovereignty | Ottawa Citizen
.............................
Here is another surprise and turn... Palestinian sovereignty should be granted..
But because I now like the idea, MegaButtHurtz will now be against it.. :roll:
Go Trudeau!! :canada:
Make Canada Great Again!!
The Palestinians’ top diplomat in Ottawa has urged Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government to formally recognize Palestine as a country, and return to Canada’s previously balanced position on the Middle East.
“We hope this new government will join the international community and recognize the state of Palestine,” Palestinian chargé d’affaires Hamdi Abu Ali said Thursday. “We are confident that Canada will start to see us as a people who want to join other nations in having their own independence and their own sovereignty.”
Relations between the Palestinians and Canada have been strained throughout the past decade, as the Conservative government’s unapologetically staunch support for Israel often put it at odds with Palestinian interests and concerns.
That included having Canada be one of only nine countries to oppose a symbolic UN motion recognizing Palestine’s statehood in 2012, and refusing to condemn Israel for building on territory largely recognized as belonging to the Palestinians. Most of the world considers such construction illegal.
In an exclusive interview with the Citizen, Abu Ali said Palestinians are hoping the arrival of a new Liberal government will turn the page on that chapter, and usher in a return to previous eras of co-operation and mutual respect between the two sides.
In one of his first speeches as prime minister-designate, Trudeau signalled to Canadians and the international community that Canada was “back” after a decade in which it had “lost its compassion and constructive voice in the world.” Abu Ali said that message offered hope to Palestinians.
“I hope he meant Canada will come back to really support those people living in fear, those people living in problem and those who need help,” the Palestinian diplomat said. “We see Canada as a strong nation that can offer its hand to us and help us from the problem we are in, not to push us back.”
Abu Ali said there are some concrete actions the new government can take to signal Canada’s change of heart. Those include clarity on if it views Israeli construction in the West Bank as illegal, and sending peacekeepers to defuse the wave of violence that has swept Jerusalem and the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the UN for such an intervention this week.
But what the Palestinians really want is formal recognition of the state of Palestine. While Canada’s longstanding position is that such recognition should only come after a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Abu Ali said Palestinians now believe such peace talks are officially dead.
Abu Ali blamed the recent violence, which has seen Palestinians randomly attack and kill 11 Israelis, and Israeli security forces killing 62 Palestinian assailants as well as protesters, as an expression of frustration over the stalled peace process. “It is basically an expression of no hope,” he said.
There are currently 136 countries that formally recognize the state of Palestine, with North America and Western Europe being the major holdouts. But one of the most recent countries to do so was Sweden, which hoped to empower moderate Palestinians and force Israel back to the table.
“Our hope is that Canada will see that we are a country, that we are a people who deserve a country,” Abu Ali said. “Our hope is the new Canadian government will recognize our rights as a nation. We hope the new Canadian government will give the Palestinians some sort of recognition, or full recognition.”
Trudeau has not said much about Palestine or the Middle East. During the election campaign’s only foreign policy debate, the Liberal leader said his biggest disagreement with the Conservative government’s position was it had “made support for Israel a domestic political football when all three (parties) support Israel.”
In March, he criticized a campaign on university campuses that encourages Canadians to boycott goods and services that come from Israeli companies based in the West Bank and other places claimed by the Palestinians. The United Church supported this boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign in October 2012.
Abu Ali said Canada’s three main parties have been clear on their support for Israel, particularly its right to exist. “We understand that,” he said. “What is missing, and what is not clear is their position on us. And that’s what we care about. We want to know: How do you see us?”
Envoy asks Trudeau to recognize Palestinian sovereignty | Ottawa Citizen
.............................
Here is another surprise and turn... Palestinian sovereignty should be granted..
But because I now like the idea, MegaButtHurtz will now be against it.. :roll:
Go Trudeau!! :canada:
Make Canada Great Again!!
.. and before I married a US citizen, my ticket to legalization.