Groups aim to steer election discourse towards Middle East conflicts and demonstrations
Canada Heads Towards Election Day: The Israel-Hamas Conflict and Canada's Political Stances
As the final 10 days of Canada's 2025 federal election approach, the Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are shaping the discussion among political parties and advocacy groups. Let's take a look at the key players and their positions on this sensitive topic.
Vote Palestine is a pro-Palestinian advocacy group that aims to pressure all political parties and candidates to support Palestinian human rights. B'nai Brith Canada, the voice of Canada's Jewish-Canadian community, has launched a resource to help Jewish voters make informed decisions, including statements from federal parties about their positions on issues important to Canadian Jewry.
Vote Palestine urges the parties to protect the right to protest and speak out on Palestine without harassment or criminalization. On the other hand, B'nai Brith Canada is advocating for party commitments to ban rallies promoting hate speech, violence, and extremism, with a specific focus on stopping events like Al-Quds Day, which have been accused of spreading antisemitic rhetoric and extremist views.
The Vote Palestine campaign is pushing federal candidates to endorse their platform, which includes supporting an arms embargo on Israel, recognizing a Palestinian state, ending anti-Palestinian racism in Canada, and strengthening the commitment to protect pro-Palestine speech.
Recent protests on Parliament Hill have fueled controversy surrounding the nature of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Canada. Hundreds of demonstrators marched to denounce Israeli military attacks in Gaza, making the Middle East conflict a key election issue for many voters.
B'nai Brith's election effort is focused on advocating for stronger measures against antisemitism and curbing extremism embedded in some pro-Palestinian protests in Canada.
The Israel-Palestine conflict is a longstanding, deeply rooted struggle over land, national identity, and political sovereignty. The latest stage of the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Israel, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages. Since then, Israeli military attacks on Hamas in Gaza have left more than 50,000 Palestinians dead, with thousands more injured.
The war has been one of the deadliest escalations of the Middle East conflict in decades, creating global tensions and sparking protests around the world, including Canada. The parties are being urged to take clearer stances on the crisis and its solutions.
Sarah Lujetic, a Carleton University student and Palestine supporter, called for more information about candidates' thoughts on the situation in Gaza: "It would be nice to know where the people in the government stand instead of getting nothing at all." Lujetic believes advocates who present platforms on the conflict to influence candidates and voters are helping to inform people about what matters to them.
While the Liberal government has tried to maintain a middle ground, advocates are pushing for greater transparency on their stances concerning the protracted conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. B'nai Brith Canada has launched a seven-point plan to combat antisemitism and implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. They are also advocating for an all-of-government approach to ensuring effective application of policies against antisemitism across federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
Jonah Fried, B'nai Brith's communications director, says the organization aims to give Jewish voters the resources they need to make informed decisions. The Conservative Party of Canada, for its part, has condemned "deplorable hate fests" and expressed support for Israel, describing Hamas as a "death cult" and advocating for reduced aid to Palestinians.
The Liberal Party has expressed concern about the rise of antisemitism since October 7, 2023, while the Bloc Québécois emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy and democratic debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As of April 16, no responses from the New Democratic Party (NDP) were posted at B'nai Brith Canada's election site.
Sources:
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/canadian-liberal-government-downplayed-civilian-suffering-gaza-israel-conflict-2023-11-11/
- https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/al-quds-day-hate-protest-toronto/article39212789/
- https://globalnews.ca/news/9542062/ndp-candidates-endorse-palestinian-statehood/
- https://theунк.ca/en/christine-stansell-vote-palestine-aims-to-put-palestine-on-the-ballot/
- https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/conservatives-promise-to-reduce-aid-to-palestinians-1.6140642
Enrichment Insights:
- The Liberal Party's approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict has drawn criticism for not clearly addressing Palestinian human rights and civil liberties concerns.
- Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sentiments are deeply rooted among Canadian political parties and advocacy groups.
- Pro-Palestinian advocacy efforts, like the Vote Palestine campaign, have gathered significant support among Canadian voters.
- Antisemitism and hate speech are serious concerns for Jewish communities and political organizations, such as B'nai Brith Canada.
- The Conservative Party has been compared to the stance of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in its strong support for Israel.
- The NDP seeks to address the Middle East conflict by supporting Palestinian rights, while the Green Party emphasizes human rights and international law in its approach.
- The New Democratic Party (NDP) endorses a platform that includes a two-way arms embargo against Israel, recognition of Palestinian statehood, and a boycott of Israeli settlements. Over 200 NDP candidates back this platform.
- The Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is increasingly becoming a crucial election issue for voters in Canada, shaping discussions among political parties and advocacy groups like Vote Palestine and B'nai Brith Canada.
- Vote Palestine urges political parties to promote free speech on Palestine without criminalization, while B'nai Brith Canada advocates for party commitments to ban hate speech and extremist rallies, including Al-Quds Day.
- Vote Palestine's campaign encourages federal candidates to endorse their platform, which includes an arms embargo on Israel, recognizing a Palestinian state, ending anti-Palestinian racism, and protecting pro-Palestinian speech in Canada.
- The Israel-Palestine conflict, rooted in questions of land, national identity, and political sovereignty, has resulted in a volatile situation with over 1,200 deaths and more than 50,000 Palestinians killed in the latest stage of the conflict.
- As the election nears, there is growing pressure on Canadian political parties to present clear stances on the conflict and its solutions, as well as measures to combat antisemitism and ensure a democratic debate on the issue.
- Organizations like B'nai Brith Canada are pushing for implementation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and an all-of-government approach to addressing antisemitism at federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
- The Conservative Party of Canada has expressed strong support for Israel, condemning hate fests and describing Hamas as a "death cult," while the New Democratic Party (NDP) endorses a two-way arms embargo against Israel, recognition of Palestinian statehood, and a boycott of Israeli settlements, with over 200 NDP candidates supporting this platform.
