44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 16, 2023 11:00AM
- Oct/16/23 10:34:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that part of it is also showing and evidencing civility, thoughtfulness and caring among ourselves as parliamentarians. I think that this can go a long way toward setting an example back home in our communities, listening and being there for each other. Sometimes it is about the different programs and sometimes it is also just about making sure that we can be there for one another.
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- Oct/16/23 10:34:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time.
I come to this debate tonight as a Christian, as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and as someone with deep love for my many Muslim friends.
The three great Abrahamic faiths have many points of unity. We share our commitment to the singular worship of one God, a belief in a moral framework that flows from the Ten Commandments, an appreciation for the role of reason in religious life and an attachment to the place we all call the Holy Land.
In the midst of these tumultuous times, there are those who believe conflict between the Abrahamic faiths is inevitable, but I do not agree. Those who assert some inevitability of conflict lack both memory and imagination. They fail to recall centuries of fruitful co-operation between members of these faith communities, and they fail to perceive opportunities for a bright future.
There is a bright star at the end of this dark tunnel. That star is one in which Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians and others live side by side in peaceful democratic pluralistic and prosperous states, a two-state solution in which each reflects the legitimate national aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel has established peaceful relations with many Muslim majority nations, most recently through the aptly named Abraham Accords, but disrupting these efforts at peace is the violent extremist and colonialist regime in Tehran. While more and more actors in the Middle East are moving toward peace, the Iranian regime is trying to be a spoiler, supporting and enabling many different terrorist organizations.
Hamas terrorists, recognized as such by successive Canadian governments, have militarily conquered and have terrorized the people of the Gaza Strip for a decade and a half. Hamas has not sought to govern the Gaza Strip in any meaningful sense. Rather, they have sought to turn the Gaza Strip into a staging ground for terrorist operations into Israel.
Hamas has shown capricious disregard not only for the lives of Israelis but also for the lives of Palestinian civilians living in Gaza. During the last round of fighting between Israel and Hamas, the foreign affairs committee heard that over 15% of the rockets launched by Hamas, intending to kill Israeli civilians, actually landed in Gaza on the heads of Palestinian civilians.
The committee also heard at the time about how a vital humanitarian corridor into Gaza was closed after being subject to a Hamas mortar attack. I asked officials why Hamas would intentionally target a humanitarian crossing. Canadian government officials told the committee:
In terms of the reason...obviously the intention and the pressure on all parties Hamas may not have wanted alleviated instantly, to keep the pressure on and keep sending the message.
In other words, the testimony of this expert was that Hamas weaponizes the pain of the Palestinian people for their own twisted political ends.
In the present context, I want to call for and underline the importance of humanitarian access.
Palestinian civilians should be able to access the things required to meet basic humanitarian needs. There should be a corridor for bringing essential humanitarian supplies into Gaza, and there should be a secure safe zone area or areas for civilians to take shelter and access essential humanitarian goods. The international community should work together to establish this essential humanitarian access.
Israel has a right to defend itself by targeting Hamas terrorists who have attacked it, and all steps should be taken to minimize harm to civilians.
Hamas must be called out for how they intentionally, constantly, put Palestinian as well as Israeli civilians in harm’s way. The latest fighting began after Hamas launched a horrific terrorist attack, killing over 1,000 Israeli civilians in the most brutal ways imaginable and taking well over 100 hostages. This was the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
As the descendent of Holocaust survivors and the descendent of some who did not survive, this is deeply personal for me. There can be no equivocation about the horror of what happened or about the need to hold the killers responsible. No other country, after facing such an attack, would be expected to contemplate an immediate ceasefire without first securing freedom for hostages and bringing perpetrators to justice.
I hope and pray that Israel's legitimate pursuit of its own security will lead to the least possible loss of human life in the short term but also in the long term. A long-term future of peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis is likely not possible until the tyrannical control of the Gaza strip by Hamas terrorists ends.
Palestinian self-determination starts with Palestinians being able to choose who governs them and choosing a government within constitutional constraints that puts the well-being of the Palestinian people first. While more and more Muslim-majority nations are pursuing peace with Israel, the Iranian regime is enabling and using terrorist proxies to attack Israel and to undermine the sovereignty of other nations in the region.
That is why I will continue to push this government to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and shut down their operations here in Canada. That is why I will continue to support the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. The success of the Iranian freedom movement would deprive terrorist groups throughout the region of material and strategic support.
As those protesters say, “No solution but revolution”. I stand today with Israelis, Palestinians, Iranians and people of all faiths and backgrounds who desire three simple things: to live in freedom from tyranny and oppression, to protect their family and to practice their faith. This is the best of the Abrahamic faith traditions that we share, the commitment to freedom, family and faith that must unite us all.
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- Oct/16/23 10:39:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate my colleague's speeches, which are both passionate and, above all, intelligent, even if we do not always agree.
However, tonight we agree on one point. I think the whole House of Commons and every party agrees that it is absolutely necessary, and urgent, to establish a humanitarian corridor. Everyone here tonight agrees on that.
That said, no one is able to give me an answer. How is it that Israel has not yet set up this humanitarian corridor? I have had only one answer: It is because of Hamas.
With international pressure, with the parties that are all in agreement here tonight, with the 338 parliamentarians who agree with establishing such a humanitarian corridor, I think we can agree that Israel must absolutely take action and quickly.
What does my colleague think?
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- Oct/16/23 10:40:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we all absolutely agree with the importance of having a humanitarian corridor. In terms of the logistics around it, all of us need to be working on that solution. In particular, the governments of the world need to be working on that solution. Of course, the different actors have a role to play, but it is not as simple as Israel deciding there is going to be a humanitarian corridor. There has to be negotiation, likely involving Egypt, and a willingness by Hamas to allow such a corridor to be established.
I will be honest: How could I know all of the particulars of those ongoing negotiations? However, we should keep the pressure up to highlight the importance of that humanitarian corridor and push for all actors involved to do what they can to make it happen as quickly as possible.
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- Oct/16/23 10:42:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise as a voice for the great people of Calgary and for our vibrant Jewish communities. In the solemn silence of the Sabbath, violence and terror ensued last Saturday. The chosen friends whom I have had and the chosen family I get to make, as for so many people from across Israel, began to text as they learned and watched the documented evidence of atrocities. They watched babies being thrown into cages and seniors being dragged across the street. They heard news of young people revelling in joy, song and love being slaughtered. They watched wanton destruction by terrorists roaming the streets of the country I have come to love in the many times I have had the honour to visit. Now, seven Canadians lie dead.
I am here just to say a few things. The first is that Israel has the right to exist. The Jewish people, as indigenous to the land, through the modern state of Israel, tell the story of the most remarkable indigenous revival on Planet Earth. The world's recognition of this Israeli legitimacy, this Zionism, is long overdue. Terror runs across the streets of that great country, that amazing, remarkable democracy.
Its legitimacy is being challenged once again, which brings me to my second point: Israel has the right, and indeed the obligation, to defend itself by itself. In 1948, the world's establishment argued against its existence, saying that it was less permanent than other nations are. This is logic that strays dangerously close to anti-Zionism and, through it, to actual anti-Semitism. Time and time again, Israel has proven them wrong, against great odds, fighting to preserve its state and proving beyond any doubt its ability to defend itself and its capital.
In most instances, such strength would be taken as an example of Israel's permanence, yet each time, the Jewish state is forced to sue for peace and grant concessions to its enemies. These enemies have only one goal: to destroy the state and eradicate the people. We stand with the reservists and security services that bring order to Israel by weeding out hundreds of Hamas terrorists, by rescuing hundreds of innocent hostages and by ensuring Hamas is dismantled and never capable of doing this again.
Third, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. At rallies sprouting up across our land, extremists celebrate rape, murder and kidnapping by Hamas, calling for actual incitement of violence against our treasured Jewish communities. Extremists' celebration of actual hate crimes and war crimes constitutes an affront to the peace and freedom of all Canadians, especially our Jewish communities.
Hamas is responsible for all the misery, murder and chaos across Israel and Gaza. There is no equivalence. Hamas is responsible for the deaths we see on the streets of Israel and for the loss of every innocent life to come. Gaza has not been occupied for more than 18 years. For 18 years, it has been part of a Hamas terror factory backed by a clerical military dictatorship in Iran. It is time to dismantle all of it now.
In this terrible test, when the calls for appeasement and restraint come, when it is hard to stand with Israel, I will pay attention to those who actually do. Under attack by land, by sea, by air and by a firestorm of rockets, and with infiltrators kidnapping and killing innocent civilians, there is no equivalence to be made. Hamas is responsible.
This is hard for me, because I spent a few years living in the desert under bombardment from Iranian rockets, and I know what it is like. In the hours and weeks, in the dark months ahead and in the trying times of our defining age, may the blessings of the memories of those who have been murdered over this last week, of those who have been sent to gas chambers and of those who have survived through the millennia fortify us to get this job done, because Am Yisrael Chai.
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- Oct/16/23 10:46:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Calgary Heritage spoke about difficult times in the months and weeks ahead. I want to share some of the words of a critical care physician in Gaza right now. These words are, “The situation is catastrophic”. The hospital he works in is currently powered by a generator, having lost electricity for the past five days. He says, “Once the fuel inside the hospital vanishes, we will face a bad situation. We will turn into a big mortuary, a big grave.”
Can the member speak to what he feels needs to be done to protect lives in Palestine right now of people who are in the midst of this kind of devastation?
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- Oct/16/23 10:47:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 24,000 litres of water have been stolen by Hamas. Hamas has been constantly subjugating humanitarian supply chains and requisitioning them to support its own terror apparatus in this region. Hamas is what is holding the peace and safety of Palestinians back, and not some morally equivalent argument about international institutions. At the end of the day, when we care about the prosperity and the peace that the Palestinian people deserve, what needs to happen is that Hamas must be defeated once and for all.
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- Oct/16/23 10:48:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have heard that there are about 150 Canadians in Gaza right now. We also know that the hostages who have been seized by the terrorist organization Hamas are in Gaza right now. We also know that 50% of the population in Gaza are children, who have had nothing whatsoever to do with the horrific crimes committed by Hamas. Does this member believe that those people, those Canadian citizens, those people who have been held hostage against their will by the Hamas terrorist organization and those children deserve to receive punishment?
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- Oct/16/23 10:49:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Hamas is holding those people hostage. Hamas is using these innocent civilians as a means to shield its terror apparatus, and it has no desire, no plan and no stated objective to ever stop. The people in Hamas proved, just one week ago, to what extent they will commit wanton acts of murder against innocent civilians. They have proven over the last 18 years how ready they are to sacrifice Palestinians for their own demented cause. Therefore, Hamas is responsible for the safety and the security of those Palestinians and Hamas is responsible for all that is to come.
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- Oct/16/23 10:49:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Calgary Heritage on his excellent speech. Like many Jewish Canadians, I have taken great comfort from the debate tonight and general unanimity in the House that Israel has the right to defend itself within international law because it was attacked by a terrorist entity and we are all better off if that terrorist entity is destroyed.
There tend to be places where Israel is treated differently from every other country in the world, by some people. I wonder if the member might extrapolate a bit about how this is taking place in this context.
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- Oct/16/23 10:50:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Israel has always been held to a separate standard compared to other states. For some reason, when Israelis and Jews and those who live within its sovereign borders are attacked, they are immediately compelled to restrain themselves and find ways to be more civil, even though, as a democracy and as a professional military, they go above and beyond the standards that are required, compared to what most countries do. Therefore, we find that Israel is constantly singled out as a country internationally.
Its Jewish people are often identified as colonial settlers when in fact they are indigenous people who have revived the state and set an example in modern times. We have seen how Israel is seen in our academia, in our non-profit community and in many other places as somehow subjected to a different standard and to anti-Zionism. In campuses across the country, we have seen this distortion of facts and the reality of the actual truths of what modern Israel is built upon. I thank the hon. member for the opportunity to point out how unfairly Israel is characterized across the world.
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- Oct/16/23 10:52:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Willowdale.
Let me start by extending my sympathy to the families of the victims of the heinous terrorist attack that was visited upon Israel by Hamas, killing approximately 1,400 individuals, including, to date, five Canadians, wounding 3,500 individuals and seeing 200 hostages currently held, including many Canadians.
October 7 was the single worst day of casualties visited upon the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and only hours after the hundreds of rockets were launched by Hamas into Israel, I received my first call from one of the community leaders in my riding of Eglinton—Lawrence. He was desperate. He was extremely anxious about families that were stuck in Israel.
Very quickly we sprung into action and started to connect Canadians who were trapped with Global Affairs in the lead-up to the evacuation effort. I want to take a moment to thank the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Global Affairs for the tremendous work they are doing, even now, in getting those Canadians home safely.
I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in my community visiting Jewish day schools, going to a retirement home, Baycrest, playing some piano and singing Hatikvah with the community. There is no way to convey the depth of despair and anxiety the Jewish community is feeling, not only in Eglinton—Lawrence but right across the country, in their homes, at work and when seeing their kids go to school, whether it is elementary, secondary or on university campuses, by virtue alone of their Jewish identity. This is wrong.
I also want to take a moment, of course, to say that our hearts go out to the victims in Gaza. We abhor the loss of any innocent life, Palestinian or Israeli, regardless of nationality. Israel is indeed working with allies to establish the humanitarian corridors that are necessary to get aid to Gaza and to make sure that people can flee and get to safety by giving them a head-up.
Israel is doing this because it is a democracy. Hamas is not. Israel has regard for human life. Hamas does not. Lest it needs to be said it again, Hamas has deliberately and wantonly murdered innocent individuals, including five Canadians. Hamas has killed Canadians. Hamas continues to hold Canadians hostage, despite our protests and our demands to release them. There can be no greater affront to Canadian sovereignty than the actions of a terrorist organization, as recognized under Canadian law.
It is for this reason that Israel has every right to defend itself, its people, its security and its sovereignty. Here at home, we are continuing to exhibit leadership by ensuring that we see hostages released as quickly as possible, by ensuring that Canadians who are stuck get home as quickly as possible, by ensuring that we deliver humanitarian aid to those who need it the most and by emphatically fighting against anti-Semitism, which in the words of Irwin Cotler is the “canary in the mineshaft of global evil”.
I am sorry to report to this chamber, but the canaries are dropping like flies. When Jewish children in my community are afraid to wear the Star of David, that is fundamentally wrong. I can think of no more fitting day than today to see the passing of the torch from Irwin Cotler to Deborah Lyons with her appointment as Canada's new special envoy. She is committed to ensuring that we teach Canadians and everyone about the Holocaust and the Shoah and that we fight the scourge of anti-Semitism together. That is the cause that all members in this chamber and indeed all Canadians should be united behind.
A Canada that is safer for Jews is safer for Muslims, is safer for Hindus, is safer for Sikhs, is safer for the gay community and is safer for the trans community. It is safer for all Canadians. That is the cause around which we should be united. It is with that closing note that I conclude my remarks.
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- Oct/16/23 10:56:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I think we all agree on in this place is that Hamas has done something unspeakably horrific to Israel and the Palestinian people. I think we can all agree that the Palestinian people are not Hamas. That is not who they are.
I would ask whether the member, who has a great deal of experience in public safety, agrees with the statement that all crimes committed against civilians should be investigated by the ICJ.
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- Oct/16/23 10:57:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would certainly agree that Hamas not only does not speak for the Palestinian people but also represents the greatest hurdle to peace in Gaza and the region. That is why it is imperative that we recognize that it is a precondition of peace that there is no terror. There is one organization, on October 7, that committed an act of terror, and that was Hamas.
What we seek now is justice for those who have fallen and, obviously, building back toward a path to peace. However, there can be no peace in the wake of terror, and we will continue to pursue justice.
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- Oct/16/23 10:58:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Hamas, the perpetrator of this attack, is a listed terrorist organization here in Canada. However, Conservatives have been calling for the IRGC, affiliated with the Iranian regime, the enabler of so much terrorism in the region by Hamas, by Hezbollah and other actors, also be listed as a terrorist organization. This attack by Hamas terrorists is another crime that we can ultimately lay at the feet of the support and enabling by the Iranian regime.
The member is a former minister of public safety and made the choice as minister to not list the IRGC at that time. I wonder if he could reflect on why he chose not to list the IRGC and if he thinks that the new minister should proceed with listing the IRGC now.
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- Oct/16/23 10:59:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying without any equivocation that, like Hamas, the IRGC is a terrorist organization, which is why this government designated it under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the purposes of ensuring that Canada cannot be a safe haven for any terrorist activity that would be facilitated by the IRGC.
We stand with the Iranian diaspora here and will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect Canadians, both here and abroad, as a result of any action committed by any terrorist, be it the IRGC, Hamas or any other terrorist group.
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- Oct/16/23 11:00:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague on his speech.
We agree that a humanitarian corridor must be urgently set up to save civilians. To be a player, one must work with other players. Unfortunately, Canada is not at the table where decisions are being made by certain players. I am thinking about France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy, who met to speak out against the situation and to find solutions to the crisis that Palestine and Israel are in right now. Canada was not at the table.
I would like my colleague to explain how he thinks his government can establish its credibility on the international stage and take its place not just as an observer, but as a player.
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- Oct/16/23 11:01:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has demonstrated its leadership when it comes to human rights. There are many examples, but the most recent is the $10 million that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has already announced. That money, that federal resource, will, I hope, be used by those who need it most. Yes, there is a lot of work to be done to save lives in Gaza, Israel and the region, and Canada is there and will be there for the long term.
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- Oct/16/23 11:02:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the course of the past week we have all witnessed untold carnage. A moment of relative calm in the Middle East was punctured by a devastating wave of violence and rage. We in this House must be emphatic and unequivocal. The violence unleashed by Hamas on hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens amounted to nothing short of terrorism in its most gruesome form. Nothing could possibly justify violence of such a vile nature or such devastating magnitude.
On October 7, children were torn from their beds, grandmothers were murdered in cold blood at bus stops and young people full of life and energy were gunned down at a music festival.
Allow me to say that I am heartened by the emergence of a clear consensus in this House that recognizes that Israel has a right to fully defend itself. Israel's efforts to retrieve hostages in Gaza, to dismantle the chokehold Hamas has on Gaza and to hold the perpetrators of this violence to account must be staunchly supported by Canada. After all, this was not only an attack on our friends and loved ones in Israel, but on Canadians. Five Canadians were assassinated by Hamas, while three Canadians remain unaccounted for. Many more Canadians have found themselves stranded in the region and, as of this evening, 10 Canadian Armed Forces flights have departed Tel Aviv with approximately 1,300 Canadian passengers aboard.
However, since this war commenced and the full siege of Gaza took effect, the death toll from this war has claimed 4,000 lives. That is why I fervently hope that our Israeli friends are vigilant and exercise prudence in dismantling the Hamas apparatus of terror and violence in the Gaza region. May they be guided by the wisdom of minimizing deaths and paving the way for durable peace in the region. That is why our Prime Minister earlier this evening stated that he fully supports Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law and insisted that humanitarian law be upheld. I would remind all members of this House that the imposition of measures that deprive civilians of goods essential to their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law. We should all strive for the establishment of an immediate humanitarian corridor that can provide life-saving assistance to the residents of Gaza.
Let me be clear: Hamas should not be conflated with the Palestinian people. While the vast majority of Palestinians aspire to live in dignity, Hamas is tethered to violence and terror.
Last, I would like to make a concluding remark on how events in Israel and Gaza have affected Canadians at home. I have had the opportunity to speak to many individuals who are aching because of the impact of the unfolding violence. I know that it has taken a profound, emotional toll on many. I have personally spoken to Jews, Christians and Muslims who are concerned with the safety of their friends and relatives. Whether their loved ones reside in Israel, the West Bank or Gaza, all are repulsed by the carnage they have personally witnessed and the constant sirens that, in panic, their loved ones have had to endure. That is why all Canadians should be mindful and considerate of the palpable pain being experienced by many Canadians of differing faiths. In such difficult circumstances, no one experiencing heartache should have to bear the additional burden of being harassed or having to feel ostracized.
By now, we have all heard of sickening instances of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in our midst. Let us strive for tolerance and empathy within our diverse Canadian tapestry and ensure that we stand together in support of peace and the well-being of all our citizens. I am confident that our shared Canadian values of inclusivity and respect for one another's differences are our greatest assets in times of uncertainty and unrest.
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- Oct/16/23 11:06:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I keep raising this issue in the hope that the government will respond. We know, as the member mentioned in his remarks, that both the Jewish and Muslim communities in Canada are living in fear of an attack. The government's integrated threat assessment centre has assessed Canada's national terrorism threat level at medium, where it has been since October 2014. Does he think that it would be a good idea for the Government of Canada's integrated threat assessment centre to give Canadians, including those in the Jewish and Muslim communities, an update tomorrow about the threat level so that Canadians can be assured the government is assessing the situation and ensuring the protection and safety of Canadians?
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