JSpaceCanada welcomes today’s announcement from the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressing violence by extremist Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, which Global Affairs Canada has determined “undermines the human rights of Palestinians, prospects for a two-state solution, and poses significant risks to regional security.”
JSpaceCanada Interim Chair, Maytal Kowalski said, “This is a welcome first step in the actions that Canada must take, as Israel’s ally, to curb the worrying trend of escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. We have been vocal about the need for such action, and are heartened to see the minister and the Liberal government listening to the voices of concerned Canadian Jews.
“It is precisely because of our commitment to a two-state solution, with self-determination and sovereignty for Jews and Palestinians, that we applaud moves to curb settler violence. The deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank is unsustainable, and the Canadian government must send a clear message to the Israeli government that letting extremists engage in violence will not escape consequences.”
We applaud the Liberal government for these first steps, and are hopeful that they will be vigorously and consistently enforced.
We continue to emphasize, now more than ever, that a political, not military solution is needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and ask the Canadian government to be an active ally to both parties in working toward a two-state solution.