44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 17, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/17/23 2:09:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the violence in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel has left many Canadians in deep pain and in a state of trauma. Our neighbours in Milton have shared how the violence and bloodshed have caused them immeasurable pain, fear and heartbreak.
Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism and anti-Semitism are on the rise in Canada and that is a direct result of the violence in the Middle East. This is completely unacceptable. I unequivocally condemn the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas on innocent Israelis and I want to reiterate the words of the Prime Minister. Hamas are not freedom fighters or a resistance. They are terrorists and they do not represent the very legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.
Nothing justifies violence against innocent civilians. This senseless violence must end immediately. I call for the release of all hostages and strict adherence to all international law. I urge the establishment of a safe humanitarian corridor for essential aid for Gazans.
Everyone I have talked to is desperate for genuine allyship and support. We must be there for one another.
As Canadians, we are an example to the world of how neighbours of different backgrounds can live in harmony, how diversity is a strength and that peaceful coexistence is always something worth striving for.
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- Oct/17/23 2:30:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as our colleagues are well aware, Canada is working very closely with all of its allies around the world. We had a call with the G7 foreign ministers this morning to better coordinate our efforts and ensure that aid gets into Gaza. We must be there to provide humanitarian assistance while this terrible crisis continues in the region.
We have evacuated Canadians. We have been working with our allies. We continue to push for evacuations of civilians from the affected areas. We will continue to work with all of our allies and we will keep the lines of communication open.
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- Oct/17/23 2:31:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we agree that this is very much a humanitarian situation. The international community must take humanitarian action, but it must do other things too. The Prime Minister's answer was long, but what he meant was that, no, he will not be part of the group, which has a lot more power to influence and intervene than even the G7 does in this context.
Because I want to know more and understand better, yesterday I suggested that the Prime Minister invite all party leaders to meet and discuss these matters privately so we can all be on the same page and more easily build consensus around this crisis, which is bigger than our debates here and our current political issues. Will that happen?
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- Oct/17/23 2:33:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the past 10 days, we have been directly focused on the safety of Canadians and all innocents in the region. We have effectively airlifted out over 1,300 people from Tel Aviv. We have seen more buses come out of the West Bank, and we continue to be extremely concerned about the hundreds of Canadians and their families in Gaza.
We are working with the international community. I spoke with President al-Sisi about the Rafah border crossing. I spoke with many allies about that. We are working directly to ensure humanitarian corridors into Gaza and exits for civilians, particularly foreign nationals like Canadians.
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- Oct/17/23 2:34:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have called for the release of hostages from the start. The situation is devastating. We are also calling for compliance with international and humanitarian law. Being there to help civilians is important.
The news about the hospital is shocking and unacceptable. We are there to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to make sure international law is upheld, civilians are protected and hostages are released.
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