I was going to rise to thank the Arthritis Society Canada, who is here today, on behalf of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. We enjoyed their breakfast this morning. I wanted to thank particularly Trish Barbato, president and CEO; Sian Bevan, chief science officer; Andrew Branion, vice-chair, national board of directors; Vas Rao, board of directors; Kelly Gorman, senior director; Joanne Di Nardo; and Ilene as well for educating us all about the tools for arthritis.

I rise in this House to present a petition:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was” already “5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I will be proud to affix my signature to this petition and to return this to the centre table with page Sachkaur.

“Whereas Ontario Place has been a cherished public space for over 50 years, providing joy, recreation, and cultural experiences for Ontarians and tourists alike and holds cultural and historical significance as a landmark that symbolizes Ontario’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and public engagement;

“Whereas redevelopment that includes a private, profit-driven venture by an Austrian spa company, prioritizes commercial interests over the needs and desires of the people of Ontario and it is estimated that the cost to prepare the grounds for redevelopment and build a 2,000-car underground garage will cost approximately $650 million;

“Whereas there are concerns of cronyism by ... Therme Group Canada’s vice president of comms and external relations who was previously” the Premier’s “deputy chief of staff;

“Whereas meaningful public consultations with diverse stakeholders have not been adequately conducted and the Ontario NDP has sent a letter of support for a public request to begin an investigation into a value-for-money and compliance audit with respect to proposed redevelopment of Ontario Place;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to halt any further development plans for Ontario Place, engage in meaningful and transparent public consultations to gather input and ideas for the future of Ontario Place, develop a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the revitalization of Ontario Place that prioritizes environmental sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity, and ensure that any future development of Ontario Place is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner, with proper oversight, public input, and adherence to democratic processes.”

I proudly affix my signature to this petition and return it to the centre table with page Katherine.

I rise today with a heavy heart as the people of Israel and people around the world reel from the unthinkable actions of the terrorist group Hamas and fear for their lives. This is a very serious motion before us today. It has been brought forward because of the words and conduct of the member for Hamilton Centre, words and conduct that are wholly inappropriate and unbecoming of a member of this Legislative Assembly.

Speaker, Israel was assaulted with a heinous surprise attack on a sacred holy day and Shabbat. Hundreds of young people at a music festival for peace were gunned down as they ran for their lives: innocent people, from infants to elderly grandparents, Israelis and Canadians taken hostage; children slaughtered; babies slaughtered; entire families massacred; rape; beheadings; bodies burned alive.

Hamas’s despicable terror attacks have killed over 1,300 individuals with the majority being innocent civilians. They seized nearly 200 hostages, the highest number of Jews killed in a single day since the Holocaust. This was an act of cowardice. This is an act of sheer evil. There is no rationalizing it, no excusing it.

Hamas continues to threaten all residents and citizens of Israel, making no distinction between religion, ethnicity, citizenship or political belief. Our government, in the face of this horrific tragedy, has provided steadfast leadership and moral clarity and expressed its unequivocal support of the Jewish community of Ontario and the global community and that Israel has an absolute right to defend itself and its citizens against such heinous acts of violence.

I proudly stood with Premier Ford and our PC caucus in solidarity with 15,000 mourners at Mel Lastman Square as the Premier resolutely championed the cause of the Jewish people in Israel and the Jewish community in Ontario. This is a time for moral clarity. There is no place for hate and anti-Semitism in our province and country. Indeed, Israel stands as a refuge for Jewish people around the world. Borne out of the need to provide a secure homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust and centuries of persecution, Israel is and will always be committed to ensuring the safety and security of its people.

I myself am an immigrant to Canada, and my family escaped from the horrors and deprivation of the Second World War and the civil war that followed in Greece for the safety and security of life in Canada. From a young age, I learned of the atrocities committed against Jewish Greeks by the Nazis. In March 1943, the Nazis rounded up and deported the Jews of the historic city of Thessaloniki, sending those Greek citizens to the death camps. Interestingly, up to the 19th century, Jews were in fact a majority of the population in Thessaloniki, with 33 synagogues, thriving schools and businesses. In other parts of Greece, the ancient Romaniotes were Jewish families who called Greece their home since the time of Alexander.

When the Nazis invaded Greece, 46,000 of its Jewish citizens from the city were deported to the concentration camps. Throughout Greece, about 70,000 Jews died. Following the war, the few surviving Greek Jews emigrated to Israel, and some to Canada. The Greek Jews that moved to Israel established several villages, including Tzur Moshe, and many settled in the Florentin, Tel Aviv, and the area around Jaffa harbour. This is sacred land—land that had been inhabited by Jews since the beginning of time.

In this House, our government has recognized the inalienable right of the State of Israel to defend itself and its people. This right is based in history. During the horrors of the Second World War, many Greeks, at risk to themselves, protected and hid Jewish friends and neighbours. On the Greek island of Zakynthos, when ordered by the Nazi occupiers to hand over a list of the town’s Jewish residents, Mayor Loukas Karrer and Greek Orthodox Bishop Chrysostomos defied these orders. Instead, they concealed their Jewish neighbours and submitted a list that bore only two names: their own. This historic and heroic resistance resulted in the survival of the entire Jewish community in Zakynthos. This story serves as a poignant reminder that even in the darkest hours of history, people emerged to do what was right and what was just.

I can also tell you about my own personal experience. I had the rare opportunity to be invited to a memorial service at the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Greece, on the island of Rhodes, to commemorate the loss of 1,604 Jewish citizens of Rhodes who were sent to the concentration camps. Now, in a spirit of peace, the Chief Rabbi of Athens, along with the Imam of Rhodes and the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Rhodes, were there together in prayer and commemoration.

I also belong to a Facebook group named the Israel-Greece Friendship Association. When Hamas attacked, Israeli members came to the Greek members, asking if Greece is a safe place for them to seek refuge. The response was overwhelming. Members shared their personal phone numbers. They assured Israelis that Greece would welcome them with open arms. Members from my birthplace of Kalamata, in Ioannina, and across Greece informed them how to safely travel to Greece. Perhaps most poignantly, members from Thessaloniki, whose Jewish citizens had been decimated by the Nazis, assured Israelis that Greece will protect them and their families.

Now, since 2007, Gaza has been controlled by Hamas. Let’s not deceive ourselves: Hamas is a political and militant Islamist group, and it has ruled the citizens of Gaza in an oppressive de facto one-party state. Since then, they have in essence held all residents hostage to their brutal authoritarian goal.

Fast forward to October 7, 2023, when Israel was attacked from Gaza. The Hamas terrorist organization has thrust its residents of Gaza into a state of even worse crisis. In fact, they are now facing an immediate future without food, power and fuel. Hamas strategically places its headquarters in hospitals, hides its fighters beneath apartment buildings and establishes its offices within schools. It exploits the people of Gaza, who suffer from both Hamas’s oppressive rule and the consequences of conflict as human shields.

It’s vital to recognize that the innocent people of Gaza should have the opportunity for safe passage, as they are not responsible for initiating this conflict and deserve to live free from harm. Humanitarian organizations should be allowed to provide relief to those fleeing the conflict. Innocent Israeli citizens should not be kidnapped and held hostage.

Ontario is home to Jewish and Palestinian people, many of whom have lost loved ones as the result of this senseless act of violence. To quote the Premier, “These attacks are not just another conflict on the other side of the world. The impact is being felt throughout the country, including here in Ontario.”

I would also like to read a statement from Rabbi Stephen Wise, who is the rabbi for our synagogue congregation in Oakville. The congregation is Shaarei-Beth El congregation. This is what Rabbi Wise has said:

“We stand in solidarity with the State of Israel and all of its residents in the midst of the horrifying, deadly attacks of Hamas terror—unleashed by land, sea and air. We grieve the lives lost, which continue to grow in number. Those killed include children and adults of all ages and walks of life. Our prayers from around the world are directed to the land of Israel. We pray for comfort for mourners, healing for the wounded, we pray for the release of those taken captive, and safety for all who have taken shelter. We pray for the citizen-soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, those on active duty, and all who have been urgently called into service as reservists.

“Not for the first time in its history, Israel has been assaulted with a heinous surprise attack on a sacred, holy day—in this case, Atzeret-Simchat Torah and Shabbat. A day of peace and rejoicing has been turned into a day of war and grief. Hamas’s despicable terror attacks have killed, wounded and continue to threaten all residents of Israel—making no distinction between religion, ethnicity, citizenship or political belief. Today we stand with all in Israel whose lives are being threatened. We pray that the Israel Defense Forces will swiftly repel this terrorist invasion, minimizing the devastating loss of life, and will be able to safely recover the captives.”

It is for this reason that I rise today to address a circumstance that as an Ontarian I am ashamed I have to raise. I would like to share with the members a harrowing message I received from a former constituent from my Oakville North–Burlington community, one who now lives in the riding of Hamilton Centre. Here is someone who should be able to trust that their elected official will act in the constituents’ best interests. Instead, this individual reached out to me because they are scared for their safety and their children’s safety. And their elected official’s inflammatory statement put their safety at further risk.

Let me share what this constituent told me when we spoke yesterday:

“I represent and belong to a Jewish community of Hamilton.

“I don’t know who to turn and ask for help, because our MPP is the member for Hamilton Centre, and I’ve heard the Ford government speaking out against her and I was wondering if the government can help me and my Jewish community.

“Given the horrifying nature of attacks and war in Israel, we are scared being in our own country, Canada!

“Last week, Jewish students—children—were attacked in Toronto.

“Several days ago, our children in Hamilton were horrified by cars filled with people flying the Palestinian flag. People screaming toward our children.

“We are asking for help. Everyone has a political opinion; we are not talking about political opinions. We are not talking about Israel or Gaza. We are Canadian citizens, most of the people are not from Israel. They are Jewish children going to Jewish schools.

“We are asking for you to understand us and support us, if you can relate to our fear because we are not going to Muslim or Christian places shouting and chanting death to people. We are peaceful here, that’s why we live in Canada.

“We don’t know what to do if the hate is not being addressed, that’s a big problem.

“It is not fair that children should stay home because of fear in a free country that is not related to Israel or Gaza.”

This is, sadly, not an isolated experience. Many other members of the Hamilton Jewish community have written to me. And here is another one who just wrote to me today:

“I don’t know who to turn to and ask for help from. I heard my MPP publicly supports Hamas.

“The member of Parliament continuously notes the saddening impact this war that was brought on us has on the innocent Palestinian civilians who are being used as human shields by the terror organization of Hamas and deliberately neglects to mention any of the civilians who were actively targeted as valid targets by that same terror organization, later to be raped, butchered, beheaded and burned alive.

“Clearly, we, the Jewish-Israeli communities within Canada, have a lot to worry about and nobody to rely on.

“We are asking for your understanding and your support. We feel that our fundamental rights were taken away wholly: the right to practise our religion in the house of worship and send our children to school with no fear, the right to freedom, we are scared to wear Star of David necklaces, wearing ‘kippa’ ... on our heads or dress as some of our community usually do.

“We don’t know what to do if the hate is not addressed. It quickly became a big problem for peace of mind. It is not fair that children should stay home because of fear in a free country.”

It is shocking that Jewish people living in Hamilton Centre are afraid because of the violence incited by the statements and actions made by the member from Hamilton Centre. Words matter. Actions matter. And I’m proud that our government stands with them and they can rely on our side of the aisle for the support they so desperately need.

Hamas’s leaders recently declared that last Friday would be a global day of jihad—a day for Hamas supporters around the world to threaten Jews wherever they live, including here in Canada. Jews in Canada certainly got the message. People in my own riding of Oakville North–Burlington and across Ontario are terrified of unprovoked violence against them. They have had to remove the mezuzah from their doorstep. They have advised their children to hide their faith. They have been told to avoid places of worship for fear of aggression. In my riding, the Halton police have increased patrols around places of worship. They are afraid, and it is our duty as parliamentarians to advocate and protect them.

To those listening, I have a clear and resolute message for you: We stand with the people of Israel. We stand with the Jewish citizens in Ontario—so that all Ontarians can rely on this government to support you, irrespective of your race, faith or ethnicity.

And to the members opposite, I would like you to reflect on this message from Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the centre of the universe.”

The truth is indisputable. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Let me repeat: We call on the Speaker to not recognize the member for Hamilton Centre in the House until the member reflects and then retracts her statements on social media and makes a heartfelt apology in her place in the House.

Like others have said today, I rise with a heavy heart. It’s a very difficult and serious issue that we are debating today. I want to start just by putting down some basic facts.

Hamas has been recognized as a terrorist entity by the government of Canada, and Hamas’ charter clearly declares that its aim, the reason for its existence, is to commit a war crime, basically. It is to eliminate the state of Israel and every Jew who stands in the way. And they’re not above eliminating others as well, like Arab Israelis, for example.

Now, on October 7—we’ve said many times, but I have to go there again—appalling news came out of Israel: Innocent civilians, men, women, children, even babies and the elderly, some of whom themselves were Holocaust survivors, were kidnapped, raped, murdered, burned and mutilated. And Hamas terrorists gleefully paraded their war crimes on social media, showing a total absence of respect for human life. By treating these innocent victims as though they were less than human, by dehumanizing these innocent Israelis, these terrorists displayed their own inhumanity for all the world to see, and all the world saw that. It was the purest manifestation of moral evil in recent history. Every bit of news of these atrocities committed by Hamas hits us viscerally in the gut, leaving us gutted, really, as the descriptions also echo pogroms and the history of the Holocaust, and we all feel that very much.

As my friend has just said, at least on Monday of this week, by then, 1,400 Israelis had been killed, including 260 who were massacred at the Supernova Sukkot gathering. Attendees there began fleeing in panic as Hamas terrorists arrived and began shooting, and the few who managed to reach their vehicles were met with gunfire and blocked roads. Those that hid were hunted down, raped and then they were taken hostage or murdered. The attack, and all of the other attacks perpetrated by Hamas, deserve nothing less than unequivocal condemnation.

Now, in light of that, what was the response of the NDP MPP for Hamilton Centre? There was a post posted on October 10. Let’s remember that October 10 was just a few days after October 7. We were still just figuring out what had happened. There were two parts to the post: There was the statement itself, and the post on X, formerly called Twitter, which attached the statement.

Let’s examine how the MPP for Hamilton Centre responded to the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. What were her first words in the face of this unspeakable horror? The Hamilton Centre MPP posted a two-paragraph statement, and this is what she said: first of all, some irrelevant nonsense stating that the MPP for Hamilton Centre was reflecting on her role as a politician in this “settler colonial” system—I guess that was just a side smear on the Legislature. Then, she followed that with a “#FreePalestine.” Then, her statement called for an immediate ceasefire. This was on October 10, just a few days after this unspeakable terrorist attack on Israel when Israel was still reeling from the attack. If we all reflect—if something traumatic happens to you, you can’t think, especially something this traumatic.

On October 10, she posted this when Israel was still reeling from the attack, had had barely a chance to regroup and to start to defend itself, even while Hamas was holding hostages, perhaps as many as 200 hostages taken from Israel, which itself is a war crime, which they are still doing—this is when the MPP for Hamilton Centre was asking for an immediate ceasefire, even while Hamas continued bombing Israel, its rescue forces and those who were trying to give the people who had been murdered so viciously a decent burial.

Her statement also smeared Israel, this very recent victim of a horrific terrorist attack, as an apartheid state. It states—her statement—that the solution is the end of the State of Israel. She specifically rues the ongoing violence on October 10, but she doesn’t say a word against the terrorist attack against Israel or its innocent citizens. Not a word for those innocent human beings who were slaughtered in Israel. Not even a word for the 40 innocent Arab Israelis—at least 40 that I know of at this point—who were killed in the terrorist attack on Israel, nor the six Canadians who were killed in the terrorist attack on Israel, nor the people from other countries who were killed in the terrorist attack on Israel—not a word for any of them.

CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said this in response to the statement by the MPP for Hamilton Centre: “Israeli babies beheaded, Israeli young women raped, more than 100 Israeli men, women & children kidnapped, and 900 & counting murdered at the hands of #Hamas terrorists and this is what the Ontario MPP ... has to say.

“This statement is filled with lies that will do nothing to create peace and will only serve to foment hatred against Canada’s Jewish community.

“We call for the immediate removal of”—the MPP from Hamilton Centre. That was the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs when she posted her statement.

This is fundamentally where the problem is. In the face of horror, the MPP from Hamilton Centre could not spare a first thought for the victims of this terrorist attack and their families—not one thought, not one moment. That is fundamentally racist. It is anti-Semitic. It is overlooking the humanity of the people who were attacked. It is conduct unbecoming a member of this Legislature. We all say every day that there should be no hate, no racism of any kind, and anti-Semitism is a type of racism, perhaps the oldest.

We have all said this in this House, but it’s much worse when an individual member of the Legislature does not live up to this standard and says something which is fundamentally anti-Semitic and racist in the face of the most horrific tragedy. This is a member sworn to represent all constituents, and we’ve heard that she has Jewish constituents. All the member had to do was to apologize and retract her statement and issue a statement condemning Hamas’ terrorist attacks, as she should have done originally. This is the position of the New Democratic Party, which she belongs to. Although unfortunately, today, they did not vote in line with that position, that is their stated public position on the issue at the time of the post anyway.

The statement by the NDP leader, the member for Davenport, on October 11, condemned the statement from the member for Hamilton Centre. The leader of the New Democratic Party released a statement saying the MPP’s message was not approved by her caucus. She asked her to retract it and instead asked her to clearly state “that she decries any violence against both Israeli and Palestinian people.” The NDP leader said, “This statement does not reflect our party’s position, which is articulated in our federal party’s statement ... The terrorist attacks by Hamas on thousands of innocent Israeli civilians are unjustifiable and must be condemned unequivocally.” But the member has not done that, not to this day.

Our Premier called on the member from Hamilton Centre to step down. He said, “As Premier, I’m doing what”—the Leader of the Opposition won’t do, calling on her—“to resign immediately” as the member for Hamilton Centre. Then the member for Hamilton Centre offered what could best be described as a very tepid apology, a simple post buried in the comments section of her X post, just two words really: “I apologize.” That was the whole sentence. That was it. She did not even bother to say exactly what she was apologizing for.

As Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, noted, “The MPP from Hamilton Centre has never properly apologized to the Jewish community for her prior offensive statements. Now, as our community faces an onslaught of barbaric terrorism, your comments are devoid of even one word of condemnation against Hamas. You do not deserve to sit in the opposition’s caucus in Ontario.” He went on to call on the NDP leader to immediately remove the MPP from caucus.

But there was never any retraction of that statement, even though her leader asked for a retraction. Indeed, the MPP from Hamilton Centre doubled down on it by pinning it on the top of her X feed, highlighting it. Leaving the post up is contributing to inflaming the situation. She is continuing to foment hatred.

A recent op-ed by David Matas, senior legal council of B’nai Brith, and Sarah Teich, a member of the B’nai Brith Canada’s Matas Law Society, stated, “In Canada, the Jewish population, according to Statistics Canada, is the most vulnerable identity group by far on a per capita basis.... This disproportionate victimization is directly linked to past anti-Zionist rallies and the propaganda which incites them.” These rallies are “straight bigotry, endorsing these killings and kidnappings.”

Now, as the government House said, it’s expected that members are going to have comments, sometimes unpopular opinions, but we cannot allow them to compromise the sanctity, the value of this institution and respect for this institution. And that’s why Parliaments over the course of history have acted swiftly to condemn members and censure members when there has been a problem. And that’s why we’re arguing this motion today.

There is unanimity amongst the members of this Legislature, by the way, on this issue, despite how people vote sometimes, despite what the member for Ottawa Centre said, the leader of the independent Liberals. Previously, he had said, “This is about innocent lives. And that tweet left the impression that those innocent lives, that somehow they had it coming. Somehow, what did you expect? It didn’t recognize the utter inhumanity of what happened.” That was the member for Ottawa Centre.

CIJA said just yesterday on X, “By pinning her statement to her profile, after specifically being asked to retract it,” the member for Hamilton Centre “demonstrates that her ‘apology’ was nothing but empty words. No minority community would tolerate this.

“We once again reiterate our call for her immediate removal from the NDP caucus.”

We must hold the members—all of us, ourselves, each other—to the highest possible standard. And even the Leader of the Opposition said the member from Hamilton Centre should apologize and retract the statement. Yet, the member has not. That’s all three parties in this Legislature, and we haven’t heard from the Green member. But otherwise, everybody.

So what is the problem here? Never acknowledging the terror attack that started this. We’ve often said this: You have to name these things. You have to call them out: a tepid apology, a statement that has still not been retracted, doubling down on that statement and sticking it in the face of everybody for all to see, and she did all of this with the coat of arms of the Legislature beside her name. In doing so, she tainted the reputation of this great institution, our democratic ideals and all of the institutions that uphold them. Her conduct, I would say, is disreputable, and it brings shame on this institution and all of us by association with it.

Even long-time members of the NDP think that the MPP for Hamilton Centre should resign. Hershl D. Berman, who ran in the last provincial election for the NDP and in the last three federal elections and has been a member of the party since 1984, said this this week about the member from Hamilton Centre. He said this “caused great harm to the Jewish community in Ontario. While Hamas was attacking our friends and family she posted remarks on her ‘X’ page that were inappropriate and deeply hurtful. She was asked to withdraw them but she did not, and her subsequent statements were inadequate and unacceptable.

“This is the latest incident in a pattern of anti-Semitic behaviour that predates her election to the Ontario NDP caucus. Her actions demonstrate that she is neither fit to speak for the New Democratic Party nor to hold elected office.

“I therefore respectfully ask our leader ... to expel her from the ONDP caucus, and I call” on the MPP from Hamilton Centre “to resign as a member of provincial Parliament.” And that is from a long-time member of the NDP, a former candidate.

I guess what I would ask is, if the member for Hamilton Centre thinks she’s participating in a somewhat distasteful Legislature, a distasteful place, then she could step down quite easily. She doesn’t seem to have respect for this institution. As Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada said in a recent Toronto Sun article, all of us “must start asking ourselves who we are, and how much more of this evil incitement we are willing to condone” or just ignore because, as I said before, I think it will infect everything.

He went on: “Think about this: A Hamas terrorist called for a holy war on all Jewish people, and there are Canadians celebrating it.” They’re handing out cake here in our multicultural society. He concluded, “You cannot support the actions of Hamas while also claiming to believe in a multicultural and diverse Canada.”

We have a place here called a Parliament—speak, “parler,” “Parlement.” Words matter. That’s what this place is about and these are her words.

And I just want to mention that a representative of the National Council of Canadian Muslims held a press conference yesterday, and I read a transcript of everything that was said. One of the points he made repeatedly was that words matter, that words have consequences, and they absolutely impact people—even the words that we’re talking about here today and the words in the tweet.

Well, I think we all agree, and that is why we brought this motion. But that representative, despite confirming that words matter, could not understand the relevance of this motion. He said the National Council for Canadian Muslims “do not see it as a problem,” but many others do, I can assure you, including my colleagues and myself.

Let me try to explain quickly why it’s important because I think it’s important that everybody understand. We all want peace. Nobody wants anyone to be hurt. No civilians anywhere should be hurt, especially not innocent civilians going about their business. But our shared humanity requires that we value every human life. Human rights are attributed to all of us—Jew, Muslim, Israeli, Gazan and, yes, Canadian—because we are human beings. Every life is sacred—every Jewish life, every Muslim life, every Israeli life, every Gazan life. If we do not accept that as the foundation and let each other live according to your own religion and beliefs, or lack thereof, here in Canada, then we will not ever be able to have peace and live together. Our society will be torn apart. This is fundamental.

Now, any statement that I and my colleagues and this government have made about this issue have been statements condemning a recognized terrorist group, not Gazans generally—or Palestinians or Muslims. The innocent people of Gaza should be able to have safe passage. The innocent Israeli citizens should not have been so brutally murdered in a terrorist attack, but calling for an immediate ceasefire without letting Israel recover its hostages, secure its borders and eliminate the ongoing threat of further attacks coming from Hamas is just not tenable. It is strategically intolerable.

“Legitimate defense can be only a right but also a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm.” Furthermore, as “it happens that the need to render the aggressor incapable of causing harm, sometimes involves taking his life.” That is a quote from Thomas Aquinas.

Aquinas argued that it was only in the pursuit of justice that the good intention of a moral act could justify negative consequences, including the killing of an innocent during war. Our United Nations charter says at article 51, “Nothing in the present charter shall impair the inherent right of an individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the security council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.” Israel does have a right to defend itself. It can’t have a ceasefire before it has secured its own safety and the safety of its citizens, especially in light of what has happened.

That’s all we need to understand. We don’t have any problem with Muslims. We love everybody. We want everybody to get along. We don’t want anyone to die, especially not innocent civilians. But we’re here today to say if only the MPP for Hamilton Centre could agree, condemn the attack first and then talk about the rest of this.