Article content continued

“For a party that speaks about human rights and international law . . . they need to condemn Israeli atrocities that are taking place in Gaza right now,” Husseini said. “The NDP tries to strike this false balance between victim and victimizer, between oppressor and oppressed, a false balance that doesn’t exist.”

Husseini said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair’s July 22 statement about the conflict — which expressed alarm about “innocent civilians” being killed in Gaza and also said that Israel has the right to defend itself against “unacceptable” rocket attacks by Hamas — indicates a “dangerous policy shift” by the NDP.

“They can no longer take the support of progressive people for granted in their ridings,” he said. “Paul Dewar has been an ally on so many different issues. That’s why I voted for him. On this particular one, he has fallen way, way short of the position that he needs to take.”

Dewar, the member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, arrived around 1:30 p.m. and spoke with the group for just over an hour.

In an interview in his office after meeting with the group, Dewar insisted the party hasn’t changed its position on Israeli-Palestinian issues; it maintains its calls both for a ceasefire and that Canada provide immediate humanitarian support to Gaza.

“There is a perception, granted, that there’s a difference in our position now with Mr. Mulcair than with Mr. Layton,” he said. “I can say as the foreign affairs critic under both leaders, there is no difference in our party’s position. . . . We’re the only party who actually has a balanced position when it comes to the conflict in Gaza.”