In a powerful open letter released on Wednesday, B'nai Brith Canada and a coalition of multicultural leaders are sounding the alarm over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
They argue the move is a dangerous and premature decision that could backfire, jeopardizing both Canadian foreign policy and the stability of the Middle East.
The letter warns that such a move “could embarrass Canada, compound the crisis in the Middle East, and further push Israelis and Palestinians away from establishing a two-state solution.”
The coalition's leaders expressed outrage over the timing of the decision, noting it was made while Parliament is not in session. “It is an affront to our democracy to have such a significant decision made unilaterally,” the letter states. The authors insist that the Canadian public must have a say in matters that impact the country's direction, arguing there should have been "an opportunity for such a policy to be questioned and explained in Parliament.”
The letter acknowledges that the recognition may appease some on “Canada’s political fringes,” but stresses that a “serious reversal in Canadian foreign policy” should not be made behind closed doors.
A central concern of the letter is the government's apparent reliance on promises from the Palestinian Authority (PA) regarding demilitarization and long-overdue elections. The letter cautions that Canada should not "treat the PA as a legitimate state actor," citing a history of empty concessions. "The PA’s assertions have been demonstrated to be meaningless, yet you are taking them at face value," the letter asserts, highlighting a pattern of the PA sponsoring terrorism, inciting hate, and suppressing dissidents.
The letter further questions the choice to base such a significant decision on the word of PA chairman Mahmood Abbas, a “notorious Holocaust denier.” The letter notes that Abbas's authoritarian rule has lasted for nearly two decades without a renewed mandate from the Palestinian Arab people, and he has consistently “refused to coexist in peace with Israel.”
"It is profoundly troubling that your Government has concluded that the PA is the most viable option capable of reforming and leading a Palestinian state," the authors write, calling the assumption that a "failed state can re-invent itself into a legitimate democratic actor" a "folly."
The letter urges Carney to delay the recognition of a Palestinian state until Palestinians have “created a stable government that can be treated as legitimate.” It emphasizes that Canada’s foreign policy must be guided by “moral clarity and grounded in Canadian values,” and that statehood cannot be bestowed as a "pragmatic gesture."
The coalition stresses that the global community's focus should be on bringing "Israelis and Palestinians, to the negotiating table, to establish a lasting peace and determine their own future." The letter closes by calling on the government to empower the Palestinian population to cultivate responsible leadership that can honor multilateral commitments and democratic reform.
Carney announced last month that his government intends to recognize the “State of Palestine” in September, provided the PA meets specific conditions tied to governance and security.
Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, was shown during the recent election campaign at a rally in Calgary, where he responded to a protester in the crowd who yelled, “Mr. Carney, there is a genocide happening in Palestine,” by pausing and saying, “Thank you…I’m aware. Which is why we have an arms embargo.”
Carney was later asked by reporters about the remark and walked it back, claiming that he had not heard the specific term “genocide” and was simply referencing existing arms restrictions imposed by the Canadian government.
“I didn’t hear that word,” Carney said. “It’s noisy. If you’re up there you hear snippets of what people say and I heard Gaza, and my point was I’m aware of the situation in Gaza.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired back at Carney, saying, “Canada has always sided with civilization. So should Mr. Carney. But instead of supporting Israel, a democracy that is fighting a just war with just means against the barbarians of Hamas, he attacks the one and only Jewish state. Mr. Carney, backtrack your irresponsible statement!”