Last weekend, Canada voted against the grain on a number of United Nations General Assembly resolutions regarding Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
In its opposition on Nov. 9 to five out of nine resolutions passed that day by two General Assembly committees, the Canadian delegation was in the minority of UN members, along with the United States and Israel, and sometimes countries including Australia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru.
According to former Canadian diplomat Jon Allen, the factors behind these decisions include trends set in motion by previous prime ministers, the influence of powerful lobbyists, Canada’s tendency to follow the United States’ lead, and a sense of imbalance among the UN General Assembly’s resolutions.
Allan is a professor of global affairs and public policy at the University of Toronto, former Canadian ambassador to Israel, Spain and Andorra, and chair of Project Rozana Canada, a not-for-profit with the objective is to build bridges between Palestinians and Israelis via the health sector.
“Under various governments up until the end of (Jean) Chretien, there was more balance in the resolutions,” Allen told CTVNews.ca in an interview on Wednesday. “We supported some. We didn’t support the others.”
In the years since then, however, the needle has moved.
THE VOTES
Canada voted against a resolution to have the UN General Assembly request the Secretary-General “take all appropriate steps” to protect Arab properties, assets and property rights in Israel.
It voted against a resolution to “condemn settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” and in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and condemn any activities involving the confiscation of land, the disruption of the livelihood of protected people, the forced transfer of civilians and the annexation of land, “whether de facto or through national legislation.”
Canada was among four countries to vote against a resolution that would have the UN General Assembly express concern about the critical financial situation of UNRWA and “attempts to discredit the Agency despite its proven operational capacity and consistent implementation of its mandate.” The resolution would also call on Israel to ensure the safety of the UNRWA personnel and the protection of its institutions.
The Canadian delegation also voted against a resolution that would “recognize the right of the Palestinian people to claim restitution as a result of any exploitation, damage, loss or depletion or endangerment of their natural resources resulting from illegal measures taken by Israel, the occupying Power.”
Finally, Canada voted against a resolution that would reiterate the committee’s concern about an oil slick on the Lebanese shores created when the Israeli Air Force destroyed oil storage tanks in the direct vicinity of the Lebanese Jiyah electric power plant in 2014, causing Lebanon US$856.4 million in damage.
In the days since the two committee sessions, Canada’s position on resolutions concerning Israel has fallen under increased scrutiny and has drawn criticism by human rights organization Amnesty International.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca on Friday, Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, said she believes Canada’s voting record “reveals a concerning misalignment with global consensus” on the rights of people in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“At this pivotal moment, Canada must prioritize international law over bilateral interests to ensure that everyone’s human rights are upheld and respected impartially.”
CANADA’S EXPLANATION
According to a UN report on the Fourth Committee meeting, the Canadian delegation explained its position on the resolutions by reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself and arguing that there are too many resolutions related to the Arab-Israeli conflict which single out Israel, adding that Canada will continue to vote “no” on texts that “do not address the complexity of issues.”
CTVNews.ca requested an interview with Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, to discuss the resolutions, but Rae’s office declined. Instead, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) provided a statement further elaborating on Canada’s position.
“When it comes to votes at the UN, Canada reiterates the importance of a fair-minded approach,” the statement reads. “We will continue to vote no on resolutions that do not address the complexities of the issues or address the actions of all parties. We also remain opposed to the disproportionate singling out of Israel for criticism.”
The statement says Canada does not recognize permanent Israeli control over territories occupied in 1967 – including the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
FORMER AMBASSADOR WEIGHS IN
Allen agrees with the federal government’s position that the number of resolutions on Israel effectively singles it out over other countries whose leadership has carried out acts of violence and oppression — such as Russia, North Korea, China and Myanmar — but which aren’t the subject of as many UN resolutions.
“At one point there were 22 resolutions (on Israel). Now, I think there’s about 14,” he said.
“Should there be some resolutions? Yeah. Just have two resolutions that basically say settlements are illegal and should be stopped and the occupation should be ended as soon as possible.”
However, he said there are other factors influencing Canada’s stance on the resolutions, including a trend set in motion 20 years ago and aggressive lobbying by certain interest groups.
There was a time when Canada supported a greater number of UN resolutions regarding Israel and the occupation of the Palestinian territories, Allen said, but successive prime ministers since former prime minister Jean Chretien have taken a more explicitly pro-Israeli position.
Up until the early 2000s, Allen said, Canada tended to shy away from supporting resolutions that “blamed Israel for not making peace,” but still supported a greater number of resolutions regarding Israel and the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank than it does today.
Around the time Paul Martin took office as prime minister in 2003, Allen said, the dial began to move, little by little.
“I don’t know whether he did it to please the Jewish community, but to my surprise, (because) I was in the department at the time, (Martin) changed maybe two or three resolutions,” he said.
“When (Stephen) Harper came in, he changed even more.”
Based on his various positions in Canadian diplomacy from 2001 to 2016, Allen said he believes these reversals were made partly due to what he described as lobbying by interest groups in Canada in support of minimizing criticism of Israel.
“There is a strong lobby that does not want to see resolutions condemning Israel be supported by Canada,” he said.
And despite the federal government’s insistence that it voted against four out of six of the latest draft resolutions on Israel out of a duty to fairness, Allen said he believes that if the U.S. were to change its position on the resolutions, Canada likely would, too.
“America is pushing a two-state solution now, that’s what their answer is to this war,” he said. “And if (President Joe) Biden had the guts, he would start criticizing the settlements, he would start criticizing the occupation. And I have no doubt that Canada would follow.”
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THESE RESOLUTIONS?
The resolutions come as the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry estimates more than 11,400 Palestinians have been killed in the weeks since the war broke out.
The war erupted after Hamas, a militant group deemed a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, killed some 1,200 people and seized around 240 captives in a surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza.
The United Nations said Friday it was forced to stop deliveries of food and other necessities to Gaza because of a lack of fuel, The Associated Press reported, adding that Israel has also blocked the majority of food, water and other supplies. The AP cited aid workers as saying the trickle of aid that does make it in through Egypt is far short of what’s needed.
As a result, Palestinians trapped in Gaza are struggling to survive without electricity or running water and are rationing food, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
At the end of the day, Allen said, resolutions drafted by the General Assembly are little more than paper tigers that are neither executed nor enforced by the UN Security Council because they are non-binding.
“Everybody’s anguishing over resolutions that frankly, don’t mean very much,” he said.
“We’re talking about non-binding resolutions of the General Assembly that really, truly have no effect whatsoever. If this is not the Security Council, you’re not going to get sanctions as a result of this.”
Amnesty International’s Nivyabandi disagrees, saying it would be “misguided and regrettable” to dismiss the resolutions’ importance.
“These resolutions, including those concerning Palestinian refugees and condemning the ongoing development of illegal Israeli settlements, reflect the collective stance of the international community on vital issues,” she wrote. “They hold significant moral and political value.”
Still, Allen said if Canada is serious about wanting peace in the region, going forward, he believes it needs to advocate loudly for solving some of the specific problems standing in the way of a two-state solution, namely, root causes of the conflict including ongoing occupation and settlement efforts in Palestinian territories.
“If you go to the Canadian government website, it says settlements are illegal. It opposes the occupation. It favours a two-state solution. If that’s your policy, then why are you afraid to speak up about it when they’re expanding settlements?”
Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank — including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel has also occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A linebacker at Division II West Virginia State was fatally shot during what the university said Thursday is being investigated by police as a home invasion.
The body of Jyilek Zyiare Harrington, 21, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was found inside an apartment Wednesday night in Charleston, police Lt. Tony Hazelett said in a statement.
Hazelett said several gunshots were fired during a disturbance in a hallway and inside the apartment. The statement said Harrington had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they had no information on a possible suspect.
West Virginia State said counselors were available to students and faculty on campus.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jyilek’s family as they mourn the loss of this incredible young man,” West Virginia State President Ericke S. Cage said in a letter to students and faculty.
Harrington, a senior, had eight total tackles, including a sack, in a 27-24 win at Barton College last week.
“Jyilek truly embodied what it means to be a student-athlete and was a leader not only on campus but in the community,” West Virginia State Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Nate Burton said. “Jyilek was a young man that, during Christmas, would create a GoFundMe to help less fortunate families.”
Burton said donations to a fund established by the athletic department in Harrington’s memory will be distributed to an organization in Charlotte to continue his charity work.
West Virginia State’s home opener against Carson-Newman, originally scheduled for Thursday night, has been rescheduled to Friday, and a private vigil involving both teams was set for Thursday night. Harrington previously attended Carson-Newman, where he made seven tackles in six games last season. He began his college career at Division II Erskine College.
“Carson-Newman joins West Virginia State in mourning the untimely passing of former student-athlete Jyilek Harrington,” Carson-Newman Vice President of Athletics Matt Pope said in a statement. “The Harrington family and the Yellow Jackets’ campus community is in our prayers. News like this is sad to hear anytime, but today it feels worse with two teams who knew him coming together to play.”
DETROIT (AP) — Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92.
The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided.
One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000.
“Joe likes to say that at one point in his career, he was 6-3, but he had tackled so many fullbacks that it drove his neck into his shoulders and now he is 6-foot,” said the late Lions owner William Clay Ford, Schmidt’s presenter at his Hall of Fame induction in 1973. “At any rate, he was listed at 6-feet and as I say was marginal for that position. There are, however, qualities that certainly scouts or anybody who is drafting a ballplayer cannot measure.”
Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt, beginning his stint there as a fullback and guard before coach Len Casanova switched him to linebacker.
“Pitt provided me with the opportunity to do what I’ve wanted to do, and further myself through my athletic abilities,” Schmidt said. “Everything I have stemmed from that opportunity.”
Schmidt dealt with injuries throughout his college career and was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round in 1953. As defenses evolved in that era, Schmidt’s speed, savvy and tackling ability made him a valuable part of some of the franchise’s greatest teams.
Schmidt was elected to the Pro Bowl 10 straight years from 1955-64, and after his arrival, the Lions won the last two of their three NFL titles in the 1950s.
In a 1957 playoff game at San Francisco, the Lions trailed 27-7 in the third quarter before rallying to win 31-27. That was the NFL’s largest comeback in postseason history until Buffalo rallied from a 32-point deficit to beat Houston in 1993.
“We just decided to go after them, blitz them almost every down,” Schmidt recalled. “We had nothing to lose. When you’re up against it, you let both barrels fly.”
Schmidt became an assistant coach after wrapping up his career as a player. He was Detroit’s head coach from 1967-72, going 43-35-7.
Schmidt was part of the NFL’s All-Time Team revealed in 2019 to celebrate the league’s centennial season. Of course, he’d gone into the Hall of Fame 46 years earlier.
Not bad for an undersized seventh-round draft pick.
“It was a dream of mine to play football,” Schmidt told the Detroit Free Press in 2017. “I had so many people tell me that I was too small. That I couldn’t play. I had so many negative people say negative things about me … that it makes you feel good inside. I said, ‘OK, I’ll prove it to you.’”
VICTORIA – British Columbia‘s Environment Assessment Office has fined Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd. $590,000 for “deficiencies” in the construction of its pipeline crossing the province.
The office says in a statement that 10 administrative penalties have been levied against the company for non-compliance with requirements of its environmental assessment certificate.
It says the fines come after problems with erosion and sediment control measures were identified by enforcement officers along the pipeline route across northern B.C. in April and May 2023.
The office says that the latest financial penalties reflect its escalation of enforcement due to repeated non-compliance of its requirements.
Four previous penalties have been issued for failing to control erosion and sediment valued at almost $800,000, while a fifth fine of $6,000 was handed out for providing false or misleading information.
The office says it prioritized its inspections along the 670-kilometre route by air and ground as a result of the continued concerns, leading to 59 warnings and 13 stop-work orders along the pipeline that has now been completed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
