By Dave McKee
After nearly two years of genocidal assault, and amid a humanitarian crisis caused by systemic starvation, Israel continues to escalate its campaign against the Palestinian people. On August 8, the Israeli cabinet approved Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans for the “full occupation” of the entire Gaza Strip, a move that the UN Human Rights Office warns will lead to “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
Israel’s occupation of Gaza is illegal under international law, and its actions since October 2023 have sparked growing international condemnation. This includes the January 2024 decision by the International Court of Justice that Israel is committing a “plausible genocide,” followed by the court’s order that Israel take specific measures to prevent genocide.
Israel has ignored all international pressure, including that from the ICJ. In doing so, it has received overwhelming support from the United States and its allies including Canada.
Throughout the genocide, Canada has continued to trade with Israel – including trade in arms – and has repeatedly provided diplomatic and political support, citing Israel’s “right to defend itself.” More recently, Mark Carney has given Canada’s support to statements modestly criticizing Israel and threatening unspecified “further action,” and has airdropped aid into Gaza. But all the while, Ottawa has refused to recognize that Israel’s campaign is genocide, to impose a two-way arms embargo or initiate sanctions, or to take any meaningful diplomatic action against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Even Carney’s statement that Canada will recognize the State of Palestine at the September session of the United Nations General Assembly is duplicitous. He has explicitly stripped longstanding key demands from the discourse of Palestinian statehood – these include contiguous territory secured by internationally recognized and respected borders and the right of return for millions of Palestinians in the diaspora – and has applied a range of anti-democratic, pro-Zionist positions including reforming the Palestinian Authority governance, banning certain organizations like Hamas from elections, demilitarizing Palestine and having it recognize “Israel’s inalienable right to security and peace.”
If the Canadian government wants to place such conditions in front of state recognition, why does it not begin with Israel? Carney’s entire approach is designed to ensure and perpetuate Palestine’s subservience to Israel, within the more stable confines of false statehood.
Fortunately, while Ottawa stumbles, the people of Canada appear ready to demand more action to stop the genocide and occupation. An Angus Reid survey published August 6 indicates that a majority of people in Canada believe Israel is committing genocide (52 percent) and want Canada to stop selling lethal military equipment to Israel (54 percent).
These figures may seem low, given the reality of an actual genocide occurring, but they are extraordinary when placed in the context of extreme political misinformation combined with harassment and demonization of Palestine solidarity efforts.
It demonstrates quite clearly that there is a strong basis for pressing Ottawa to step up and take the real action which is urgently needed to oppose Israel’s genocidal campaign against the people of Palestine.
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