Oct. 18, 2019
Since the Liberal Party chose to not respond to I Vote Palestine questions, we have summarized their position in their response to the Zionist organization, the B’nai Brith. Highlights were:
BDS is anti-Semitic, Yes to IHRA, No to “Singling-out Israel”, and the Gaza March of Return is an Iranian conspiracy!
More details:
On BDS:
“the Prime Minister and Liberal Caucus supported a resolution in the House of Commons condemning the BDS movement … rejecting “the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes the demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel.”
On IHRA:
“...earlier this year the Liberal Government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as Government policy.”
On “Singling out Israel”
“As the only true democracy in the Middle East, it is the Liberal Party’s position to oppose efforts that unfairly and unjustly single-out Israel for condemnation through demonization, delegitimization, and holding Israel to a double-standard.”
On the “unshakable friendship”
“we have always been clear: Canada’s friendship with Israel is unshakeable.”
On voting at the UN:
“As promised in the 2015 election, for the past four years Canada has an unbroken record of voting against the annual slate of unjust UN General Assembly resolutions that vilify Israel.”
On UN Human Rights Council:
“While Canada is not a member of the UN Human Rights Council, and cannot vote on its agenda items, the Liberal Party opposes all efforts that unfairly single-out Israel, at this and other international fora.”
On “democratic values”:
“As Prime Minister Trudeau said during Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s state visit to Canada in April 2019: ‘Canada and Israel are close friends and steadfast allies united by democratic values and deep people-to-people bonds. We are proud to stand with Israel’.”
On Israel’s right to defend itself:
“As Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in 2018, ‘We know Israel is a democratic state in a dangerous neighbourhood. And … we fully support Israel’s right to defend itself against aggression – whether it is from Iran or from terrorist groups such as Hamas’.”
On Iran’s support for the resistance organizations:
“As Prime Minister Trudeau stated in 2018, ‘we deeply oppose Iran’s support for terrorist organizations, its threats toward Israel, its ballistic missile program, and its support for the murderous Assad regime [in Syria]. We will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions’.”
On Gaza’s march of return:
That is why the Liberal Party supported a House of Commons motion in June 2018 that “strongly condemns the current regime in Iran for its ongoing sponsorship of terrorism around the world, including instigating violent attacks on the Gaza border”