Canada has voted in favour of a non-binding United Nations resolution that calls for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war.
“From the very beginning we have said that Israel has the right to defend itself,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters before the vote on Tuesday. “How Israel defends itself matters.”
The resolution passed the UN General Assembly with 153 votes in favour, 10 against and 23 abstentions. The vote followed the United States’ decision on Friday to veto a resolution at the UN Security Council that called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza.
The Gaza health authority — which is controlled by Hamas, a listed terrorist entity in Canada — reported Monday that more than 18,200 Gazans have been killed since Oct. 7.
Criticism and some approval of Canada’s ceasefire vote
As the number of deaths mount in Gaza, Canada decided to change its long-standing support for Israel and call for a ceasefire between it and Hamas. That decision has brought criticism from many corners — including some Liberal MPs — while others say it’s a good first step.
“What is unfolding before our eyes will only enhance the cycle of violence. This will not lead to the durable defeat of Hamas,” Joly said Tuesday.
Joly said a ceasefire cannot be “one-sided.” She said Hamas must lay down its arms and release the remaining hostages it captured on Oct. 7.
Canada’s vote represents a shift away from its longstanding practice of voting with Israel on major resolutions at the UN.
UN resolution ‘changes nothing’: Israel ambassador
Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae told CBC News Network’s Power & Politics that Canada’s support for Israel still stands. He said Canada backed the resolution due to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“The status quo in the fighting is unsustainable from a humanitarian perspective. From the point of view of what is happening to people, it is simply unsustainable,” Rae told host David Cochrane.
Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, said the UN resolution “changes nothing on the ground.”
“Calling for a ceasefire may appease political supporters, but it does not make any difference and has no significance for those people who are suffering right now under the terrorist regime of Hamas,” Moed said in a separate interview on Power & Politics.
‘The status quo in the fighting is unsustainable,’ says Canada’s UN ambassador
After Canada voted in favour of a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae said ‘we have to try’ for a two-state solution. ‘The situation on the ground is changing. It’s getting worse. We have to respond to that in a humanitarian way,’ Rae told Power & Politics.
“It does not help … in any way the families of the hostages. It does not help in any way those who were victimized by Hamas atrocities on Oct. 7,” Moed told Cochrane.
Moed said “talking [with Hamas] will not make any difference” and the UN resolution won’t change how Israel carries out its war on Hamas.
“I don’t think that anybody can tell us how to fight our wars. We do it in the way that we know will ensure our lives and our future in the region,” he said.
“Israel is there to stay and Israel will win this war anyway, and at any price it would cost us.”
Liberal MPs disagree with UN vote
At least two Liberal MPs have disagreed publicly with their government’s vote at the UN.
Quebec MP Anthony Housefather, who is Jewish, said any ceasefire must start with Hamas releasing hostages.
“In my view, any cessation of hostilities requires Hamas to release all hostages and lay down arms and surrender. Hamas, a terrorist organization, is entirely responsible for starting a war,” Housefather said on X, formerly Twitter.
In my view, any cessation of hostilities requires Hamas to release all hostages and lay down arms and surrender. Hamas, a terrorist organization is entirely responsible for starting a war. I disagree with our vote at the UN today.
Liberal MP Marco Mendicino, a former cabinet minister, also voiced his disagreement on X.
“I do not support [the resolution’s] call for Israel to agree to what is, effectively, an unconditional ceasefire. At present, that would only place in further jeopardy the safety and security of Israelis & Palestinians in Gaza,” he wrote.
Joly said Canada remains supportive of a two-state solution.
“We need to make sure that we have the conversation to be able to get to a Palestinian state next to an Israeli state that are able to live side by side in peace and security,” she said.
Statement calls on Hamas to release hostages
Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined allies in calling for “efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war — the first time the government of Canada had officially used the word “ceasefire” in relation to the conflict.
Trudeau and the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand issued a joint statement earlier Tuesday calling for the resumption of the seven-day pause in fighting that ended earlier this month. All three countries voted in favour of Tuesday’s UN resolution.
“The recent pause in hostilities allowed for the release of more than 100 hostages and supported an increase in humanitarian access to affected civilians,” the statement said.
“We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire.”
Trudeau told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he had just outlined Canada’s position in a “long and detailed” phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We are committed to working with partners in the region and around the world towards an enduring two-state solution,” Trudeau told reporters. “Canada is committed to ensuring that Israelis and Palestinians get to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders in peaceful and successful states.”
Canada’s statement on Israel-Hamas war ‘strong and clear,’ Trudeau says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is committed to ‘peace and security’ for Israelis and Palestinians as the government issued a statement along with New Zealand and Australia on Tuesday calling for efforts toward a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in the Israel-Hamas war.
Trudeau did not use the term “ceasefire” in his brief exchange with reporters.
The joint statement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon marks the first time Trudeau has used the term “ceasefire” in reference to the Israel-Hamas war. He previously called for a humanitarian pause in the conflict.
“This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms,” the statement said.
The statement also said there is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. The three leaders say they support Palestinians’ right to self-determination and oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, centre, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling for efforts toward a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in the Israel-Hamas war. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press, Omer Messinger/Getty Images, Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Their statement also affirms Israel’s right to exist, condemns Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel — which killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials — and demands that Hamas release all remaining hostages.
“We recommit ourselves to working with partners toward a just and enduring peace in the form of a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognized borders,” the prime ministers said.
Israel losing support, Biden says
The statement comes on the same day U.S. President Joe Biden issued his sharpest rebuke yet of Israel’s conduct in the war while speaking to Democratic donors in Washington.
“Bibi’s got a tough decision to make,” Biden said on Tuesday, referring to Netanyahu.
“This is the most conservative government in Israel’s history,” Biden said, adding that the government “doesn’t want a two-state solution.”
Israel is starting to lose support around the world, Biden added, arguing that Netanyahu “has to strengthen and change” the Israeli government to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
