NCCAR applauds Canadian parliamentarians who traveled to the West Bank and Gaza in August on a humanitarian fact-finding mission in order to assess the humanitarian situation there and gain first hand knowledge and understanding to bring back to Parliament and Canadians. NCCAR welcomes their report and recommendations.
NCCAR had actively encouraged Canadian Parliamentarians to undertake such a humanitarian fact-finding mission to Gaza. We met with members of the Canada Palestine Parliamentary Association from all parties, and explained the importance of a Canadian visit to help understand the conditions for the civilian population in Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli war “Operation Cast Lead.” NCCAR also provided useful information for the mission.
NCCAR congratulates all delegation members including Canadian parliamentarians Libby Davies (New Democratic Party), Richard Nadeau (Bloc Québécois) and Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Liberal Party) for their participation in this mission. NCCAR regrets that no Conservative parliamentarian could attend.
For the full reports, click here: English / French.
For more detailed reporting and to see the press conference regarding the release of the report on November 27, click here.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS
In their report, the Canadian MPs have asked the Government of Canada and their fellow Members of Parliament to consider and respond to their recommendations, while urging their fellow citizens to continue taking an interest in the issues contained in this report and to find ways to support the cause of peace.
The recommendations as listed in the report were the following:
RECOMMENDATION 1: LASTING PEACE
We recommend that the Government of Canada reaffirm its commitment to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state, by doing all it can to encourage further progress from the U.S. Obama administration, on a peace plan for the Middle East.
RECOMMENDATION 2: FUNDING
We recommend that the Government of Canada immediately announce and swiftly meet a contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), of an amount equivalent to or greater than the contribution given in 2008.
RECOMMENDATION 3: THE BARRIER
I) We recommend that the Government of Canada reaffirm its opposition to Israel’s construction of the Barrier, and any actions carried out for this purpose, inside the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
II) We recommend that the Government of Canada do all it can to ensure that the Government of Israel fully upholds the 2007 Israel High Court of Justice (HCJ) ruling against Land Sequestration Order no. Tav/40/0 [Bil’in].
III) We recommend that the Government of Canada affirm that the use of non-violent means by civilians to protest that which the Government of Canada itself calls unacceptable or illegal, be allowed to take place.
RECOMMENDATION 4: SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY
I) We recommend that the Government of Canada support U.S. President Obama in publicly calling for a stop to Israeli settlements and that the Government of Canada publicly oppose any new Israeli settlement activity when it is reliably brought to its attention.
II) We recommend that the Government of Canada assert that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement and the creation of a Palestinian state may require the dismantling of illegal Israeli settlements.
III) We recommend that the Government of Canada examine the practicality of Canada becoming a member of the Temporary International Presence in the City of Hebron (TIPH), as a means of helping the pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Occupied Territories and the Middle East.
RECOMMENDATION 5: THE BLOCKADE
I) We recommend that the Government of Canada assert that an end to the blockade on Gaza is an urgent and necessary means by which to normalize the day to day living conditions of people living in Gaza and to restore the civil and economic infrastructure of Gaza.
II) We recommend that the Government of Canada assert that the Israeli imposed blockade on Gaza is contributing to the growth of a non-viable and unsustainable economy in Gaza, including the smuggling of goods through illegal tunnels.
III) We recommend that the Government of Canada assert that the Israeli imposed blockade on Gaza and the development and use of illegal tunnels in Gaza, are a barrier to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace settlement.
IV) Thus, we recommend that the Government of Canada do all it can to support diplomatic efforts to secure a swift and sustainable end to the blockade on Gaza and the development and use of illegal tunnels in Gaza.
RECOMMENDATION 6: CANADIAN CITIZENS
We recommend that the Government of Canada immediately investigate and seek to rectify any practices being employed by the Government of Israel to prevent Canadian citizens of Palestinian origin from enjoying the rights of passage ordinarily granted to Canadian citizens, on the sole basis of their Palestinian origin.
RECOMMENDATION 7: INTERNATIONAL TRADE
I) We recommend that the Government of Canada, as swiftly as possible, examine and make public their findings, as to whether Canada currently receives or could at any time receive, imported goods that have originated from areas that the Government of Canada itself considers to be illegally occupied, through the provisions under the Canada-Israel Free Trade Implementation Act.
II) We recommend that if such goods are currently received or could at any time be received, that the Government of Canada seek to amend the Canada-Israel Free Trade Implementation Act to exclude any goods from areas that the Government of Canada itself considers to be illegally occupied.
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