Canada, Israel and the UN Security Council

Canada, International Relations • January 2, 2020

Hanna Kawas

Canadian activists have compiled a study of Canada’s 2019 voting record at the United Nations on resolutions [see list below] that document and censure Israeli violations of international law.

There was much fanfare made about Canada’s orphan “yes” vote at the UN General Assembly this year on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” resolution. But in the broader context of the other 17 resolutions calling out Israel’s war crimes, that Canada either voted against (15) or abstained on (2), this lone vote can only be seen as deceptive and hypocritical.

Justin Trudeau, explaining his government’s vote to Canadian Zionists, stated:

“The government felt that it was important to reiterate its commitment to a two-states-for-two-peoples solution at a time when its prospects appear increasingly under threat.”

However, if the Trudeau government was really committed to a “two-states-for-two-peoples solution,” it is inconceivable that at the same time they also voted against:

A resolution to support the work of the “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People” that affirms the UN “has a permanent responsibility towards the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects”; The “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine” resolution that calls “on Member States not to recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regards to Jerusalem”; “The Syrian Golan” resolution that “Demands once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions”; “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” resolution; The resolution that condemns the “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” and reaffirms the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force”; and The resolution concerning “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” that expresses “grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel.”

And finally, why would Canada vote against a resolution to uphold the rights of “Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities,” unless it supports Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and the “Greater Israel Project”?!

Some observers have speculated that Canada’s lone vote was motivated by Trudeau’s desire to obtain a seat on the UN Security Council. Over a year ago, then Foreign and now Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland was quoted as follows during a visit to Israel:

“She also mentioned Canada’s current bid for one of 10 non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for 2021-2022, which she hoped would allow Canada to serve as an ‘asset for Israel and… strengthen our collaboration’.”

So, this is what Canada plans to do if it gets sufficient votes for a seat, be an “asset for Israel”?

Canada is relying on the votes, and possible lobbying, of some Arab reactionary regimes to get the backing required for the Security Council seat; one example is Jordan.

Just last month during a visit, “Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Middle Eastern kingdom supports Canada’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.” This was according to Jordan’s ambassador to Canada, Majed Alqatarneh, who also said Jordan “believes it is important that Canada have a seat on the Security Council.”

Canada also seems to be counting on the support of certain diplomatic circles from the US; former US ambassador to Ottawa, Bruce Heyman stated:

“For me, today, when the U.N. General Assembly is all together, a Canadian seat on the U.N. Security Council is more important than ever.”

We tell Mr. Trudeau that instead of your objective of getting a seat at the UN Security Council, you may end up with a seat in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. If the “two-states-for-two-peoples solution… prospects appear increasingly under threat,” it is because of Canada’s (and others) unconditional support for Israeli occupation, war crimes, and apartheid. •

This article first published on the The Palestine Chronicle website.

Hanna Kawas is Chairperson of the Canada Palestine Association and co-host of Voice of Palestine.

Canada’s Vote at UN 2019

Canada Palestine Association

In addition to Canada’s orphan “yes” vote at the UN General Assembly this year on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” resolution, Canada voted against (15) or abstained on (2) resolutions calling out Israel’s occupation, war crimes and human rights violations.

The lone vote can only be seen as deceptive and hypocritical.

(The UN resolutions database is not fully updated; if needed, please click on the link on “Canada” under any resolution and go to “committee report” for further info.)

A/RES/74/10 Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People 92 in favour to 13 against including Canada, with 61 abstentions. A/RES/74/11 Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine 147 in favour to 7 against including Canada, with 13 abstentions. A/RES/74/12 Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat 87 in favour to 23 against including Canada, with 54 abstentions. A/RES/74/13 Special information programme on the question of Palestine of the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat 144 in favour to 8against including Canada, with 14 abstentions. A/RES/74/14 The Syrian Golan 91 in favour to 9 against including Canada, with 65 abstentions. A/RES/74/75 The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East 152 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States), with 24 abstentions. A/RES/74/83 Assistance to Palestine refugees 169 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Guatemala, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Vanuatu). A/RES/74/84 Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities 162 votes in favour to 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 11 abstentions. A/RES/74/85 Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 167 votes in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, United States), with 7 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guatemala, Nauru, Rwanda, Vanuatu). A/RES/74/86 Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues 163 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 12 abstentions. A/RES/74/87 Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories 81 in favour to 13 against including Canada, with 80 abstentions. A/RES/74/88 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan 157 in favour to 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 15 abstentions. A/RES/74/89 Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem 157 in favour to 9 against (Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 13 abstentions. A/RES/74/90 The occupied Syrian Golan 157 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 20 abstentions including Canada. GA/12228. A/RES/74/137 “A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action” 135 in favour to 9 against (Czech Republic, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, United Kingdom, United States), with 43 abstentions. A/RES/74/139 The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination 167 in favour including Canada to 5 against (Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and the US) with 11 abstentions. A/RES/74/208 Oil slick on Lebanese shores 162 in favour to 7 against including Canada, with 7 abstentions. A/RES/74/243 Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources 160 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 15 abstentions. •