Canada bans the export of weapons to Israel... Will other Western governments follow

Canada bans the export of weapons to Israel... Will other Western governments follow

    Sunday, March 24, 2024   No comments

In a remarkable decision, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie announced that her country would suspend arms exports to Israel, describing the decision as important and that it was “not a symbolic change.”

This step comes after Parliament approved a non-binding resolution proposal presented by the New Democratic Party, urging the government on a set of points, including demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, halting further arms export permits to Israel, and ensuring continued support for UNRWA and active work to establish the State of Palestine. As part of a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East.

Despite the non-binding nature of the resolution, it represents a historic step, according to what many observers described, and comes in line with the shift witnessed in Ottawa’s speech towards the war on Gaza.

Following the October 7 operation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement in support of Israel and its right to defend itself, before later announcing his condemnation of the pro-Palestinian marches.

The contrast between Ottawa and Tel Aviv became clear with Canada voting in favor of a UN resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza in December, while Jolie later stated that her country had not agreed to issue a permit to export military lethal products to Israel since October 7, as It has stopped issuing any permits at all since January 8.

The stage before submitting the proposal to a vote witnessed strenuous efforts by representatives of the ruling Liberal and New Democratic parties to amend a proposal from the latter that included many points, the most important of which was urging the government to call for an immediate ceasefire, suspension of trade in all goods and military technology with Israel, and official recognition of the state of Israel. Palestine.

These efforts resulted in fundamental amendments to many items, as a more flexible formula was agreed upon, including “stopping further permits and transferring arms exports to Israel, and working with international partners to actively pursue the goal of reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including: This is the establishment of the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”

The move of the ruling party’s representatives is due to many reasons, the most important of which is that voting on the proposal in its initial form, yes or no, would have led to damage to the party’s popularity among one of the two blocs, whether supporting Israel or opposing the war on Gaza.

This is important given that next year's general election will be held amid an unprecedented decline in the Prime Minister's popularity, according to a Mainstreet Research poll, which showed Trudeau trailing his biggest rival, the Conservative Party, by more than 15 points. While 63% of respondents expressed a somewhat negative or unfavorable view of Trudeau.

The arrival of the Liberals and New Democrats to a settlement formula also strengthens the agreement between the two parties, as the two parties signed an agreement in 2022 that allowed the Trudeau government to continue without the threat of a no-confidence vote against it in Parliament by the opponents, as the two parties have 181 deputies out of 338.

Canada, the main ally of the United States, provides Israel with military aid annually, but it has already reduced its arms shipments to Israel to non-lethal equipment, such as communications equipment, after the war that Israel declared on Gaza following the October 7 attack.

A Canadian official told news agencies, requesting anonymity, that the conditions on the ground make it difficult for Canada to export any type of military equipment to Israel.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie confirmed to the Toronto Star that Ottawa will halt future arms exports.

The issue of arms delivery to Israel raises public anger in a number of countries around the world and has led to legal measures being taken in many of them.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed great concern about the possible Israeli attack on the city of Rafah, which houses hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

Canada is not the first to decide to suspend arms sales to Israel. The Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium preceded it, and many other countries said that they would no longer buy Israeli weapons.

Last week, a group of Danish NGOs said they would sue Denmark to stop arms exports to Israel, citing fears that its weapons would be used to commit serious crimes against civilians during the war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, a Dutch court in February ordered the Netherlands to ban all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they would be used to violate international law in Gaza.

Israel denounced the decision to suspend arms sales, and its Foreign Minister Israel Katz commented by saying that the decision “undermines Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas terrorists.”

“History will judge Canada’s current behavior harshly,” he wrote on the X platform.

But US Senator Bernie Sanders welcomed the Canadian move and wrote on X: “Given the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, including the spread and worsening of hunger, the United States should stop sending a dime to Netanyahu’s war machine.”

Israel is one of the most prominent importers of Canadian weapons, as it received military equipment worth 21 million Canadian dollars in 2022, according to Radio-Canada, and this was preceded by shipments worth 26 million dollars in 2021.

This puts Israel in the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports. But a Canadian government official explained that his country has not sent any exports to Israel since the beginning of this year.

This month, a group of Canadian lawyers and activists of Palestinian origin filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government demanding the suspension of arms exports to Israel, considering that Ottawa, with these exports, violates domestic and international law.

UN Security Council rejects US draft resolution on War in Gaza

UN Security Council rejects US draft resolution on War in Gaza

    Friday, March 22, 2024   No comments

 Algeria, the country that proposed an earlier UNSC resolution to stop the war on Gaza, rejected the US-drafted resolution. It was joined by both China and Russia, whose vetoes sunk the US resolution.

Amar Bendjama, Algeria’s ambassador to the UN, said the text was inadequate and failed to address the immense suffering endured by the Palestinians. “Those who believe that the Israeli occupying power will choose to uphold its international legal obligations are mistaken,” he told the council. “They must abandon this fiction.”

Last February, it objected to the use of the term “immediate” in the draft resolution submitted by Algeria.

Since blocking the Algerian draft resolution, which calls for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza at the end of last February, US officials have been negotiating an alternative text that focuses on supporting diplomatic efforts on the ground for a six-week truce in exchange for the release of the hostages.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said that children, women and men are “living an endless nightmare,” stressing that there is no effective way to distribute aid without a ceasefire.

US rejection of three previous UNSC resolutions made some members skeptical and worried that US intentions have been thus far about shielding Israel and not about stopping the bloodshed. They want to see a clean resolution that orders an immediate cease fire and the unhindered delivery of food, water, medicine, and shelter to end the starvation of civilians in Gaza. Other issues can be addressed in separate resolutions.

China insists on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire not linked to the release of the captives

China's Permanent Representative to the Security Council, Zhang Jun, said: "We voted against the American draft resolution because it does not request an immediate ceasefire, even though the Secretary-General used Article 99 of the Charter for that purpose," adding that "the Council wasted a long time and did not request a ceasefire." Fire after."

The Chinese delegate believed that “the American draft resolution is ambiguous and does not meet the aspirations of the international community,” and that it is “unbalanced because it does not explicitly oppose the attack on Rafah,” and “it does not warn of the dire consequences that could result from such an attack.”

He continued: "The Council now has before it a clear draft resolution requesting an immediate ceasefire, and China supports it," expressing his hope "that it will gain the support of member states," because it "requests an end to the conflict and the immediate release of the hostages."

The Chinese delegate also indicated that “China rejects the accusations of America and Britain” related to its positions, considering that “if the United States is serious about a ceasefire, it should support this draft resolution.”

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, offered further explanation about China's voting position and relevant considerations after the vote.

Zhang said that more than 160 days have passed since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict. In the face of this human tragedy in which more than 32,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives and has left millions suffering from famine, the most urgent action to be taken by the Council is to promote an immediate, unconditional, and sustained ceasefire, which is the universal call of the international community. But the Council has dragged its feet and wasted too much time in this regard, Zhang said.

The envoy added that the US has always evaded and dodged the most essential issue, which is a ceasefire. The final text remains ambiguous and does not call for an immediate ceasefire, nor does it even provide an answer to the question of realizing a ceasefire in the short term. This is a clear deviation from the consensus of the Council members and falls far short of the expectations of the international community. 

"An immediate ceasefire is a fundamental prerequisite for saving lives, expanding humanitarian access, and preventing further conflict. The US draft, on the contrary, sets up preconditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings, and thus unacceptable," Zhang noted.

Moscow said that the American draft resolution does not call for a ceasefire in Gaza.. Talk about that is a hoax

The Russian Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, confirmed that the American draft resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip does not include any call for a ceasefire.

Polyansky stated that the draft resolution "does not include any call for a ceasefire, as previous drafts did not include. Rather, only a philosophical statement appeared there about its importance, while linking it to the release of prisoners."

 The Russian diplomat believed that talk about the United States including a ceasefire in Gaza in the draft resolution for the first time is “just an American trick.”

In addition, “there is practically a green light for an Israeli military operation in Rafah, while attention should be focused mainly on praising the United States’ own efforts on the ground,” according to Polyansky.

He added, "This is not what humanitarian agencies need," stressing that "no philosophy will be useful in the absence of a direct demand for a ceasefire."

Polyansky pointed out, "We should not give in to Washington's attempts to present the hope as if it were a real thing, as the United States is still not interested in a real ceasefire, and is doing everything in its power not to prevent its closest ally in the Middle East from abusing the Palestinians."

History of the American veto to protect Israel

The United States’ position on UN Security Council resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is consistent with its historical use of the veto to prevent any resolutions criticizing Israel, or calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The United States, Israel's main backer, had previously used its veto power in the Security Council to prevent the international body from calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territories.

Since 1945, one of the five permanent members of the Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - has used its veto to stop 36 draft Security Council resolutions related to Israel and Palestine before. Of these decisions, the United States objected to 34 decisions, while Russia and China objected to two of them.

Security Council resolutions after October 7

The US veto blocked the resolution issued on October 18, 2023, which had demanded a “humanitarian truce” and Israel’s cancellation of its evacuation order in northern Gaza.

The US representative to the United Nations said, “Resolutions are important... but the actions we take must be based on facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy that can save lives,” according to what Reuters reported.

On February 20, the United States used its veto power again to stop another draft resolution in the Security Council, blocking a demand for an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.

13 members of the Council voted in favor of the text drafted by Algeria, while Britain abstained from voting.

This is the third American veto against a draft resolution since the start of the fighting in Gaza.

The draft resolution drafted by Algeria and objected to by the United States did not link the ceasefire to the release of the hostages, but rather demanded this separately.

Washington has opposed the use of the word ceasefire in any UN action on the war between Israel and Hamas, but the American text uses language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This is the second time since October 7 that Washington has proposed issuing a Security Council resolution on Gaza. Russia and China had used their veto power to stop its first attempt.

In December, more than three-quarters of the 193-member UN General Assembly voted to demand an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. General Assembly resolutions are not binding, but they reflect a global consensus on critical matters—More than 150 countries thinking that the war in Gaza should be stopped immediately to address the starvation and killing of civilians leave the US position quite exposed. Only 10 countries voted against this UNGA resolution. The global consensus, if it continues to be opposed by the US alone, will eventually degrade US standing in the world.

US admin: US will not support invasion of Rafah without protecting civilians; Netanyahu vows to defy allies; UN it will be "a disaster beyond imagination"

US admin: US will not support invasion of Rafah without protecting civilians; Netanyahu vows to defy allies; UN it will be "a disaster beyond imagination"

    Sunday, March 17, 2024   No comments

If Western governments did not want a massacre in Rafah, they should not have supported a ground invasion of Gaza in the first place. The conditions in Rafah are not any different from the conditions of Gaza Strip in general: millions of people crammed in a small piece of land, isolated from the rest of the world; no one can leave or enter.

Western governments did not have to see the killing and wounding of 110,000 people and the destruction of 80% of the homes in parts of Gaza now under the control of occupation forces to realize that a ground invasion of Rafah will be catastrophic... "a disaster beyond imagination", to quote UN medics.

There is only one sure way to stop the attack on Rafah: stop the war through a UNSC resolution; something the US government prevented all other members of the UNSC from stopping the killing every time a resolution for a cease fire was put for a vote--three times thus far.

So when US National Security Council spokesman draws a red line against the invasion of Rafah, the last urban area in Gaza Strip still untouched by the US provided weapons of home destruction and killing, many would be skeptical. 

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Washington will not support any major military operation in Rafah in the Gaza Strip without an implementable plan that guarantees the care of 1.5 million refugees there.

Kirby explained that America has concerns about some Israeli military operations and how they are launched, saying that his country needs to ensure that civilians are protected.

 On the other hand, Kirby said that Washington did not see any evidence that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stole humanitarian aid in the Strip.

 Netanyahu has reaffirmed his determination to launch an offensive in Rafah, defying international criticism.

 The city is crammed with some 1.5 million Palestinians from other parts of Gaza seeking refuge.

 His comments come as the German chancellor, on a Middle East trip, restated his opposition to the plan.

 But Mr Netanyahu said "no international pressure will stop Israel" from achieving all of its war aims.

 "If we stop the war now before achieving all of its goals, the meaning is that Israel had lost the war and we will not allow this," Mr Netanyahu told a meeting of his cabinet.

 He said Israel must be able to continue its war, with the aims of eliminating Hamas, releasing all hostages and ensuring Gaza "no longer pose a threat".

 "To do this, we will also operate in Rafah."

 Mr Netanyahu said the offensive in city at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip "will happen" and will take "several weeks".

 He also lashed out at his critics, saying to them: "Is your memory so short?

Biden extends the state of emergency against Iran

Biden extends the state of emergency against Iran

    Thursday, March 14, 2024   No comments

US President Joe Biden ordered the extension of the “national emergency” related to Iran for another year, stressing the maintenance of comprehensive sanctions against Tehran to respond to the threat it poses to American national security.

Biden sent a message to Congress regarding the continuation of the law signed by the administration of former President Bill Clinton on March 15, 1995.

He said in his letter that “the actions and policies of the Iranian government continue to pose an unusual and exceptional threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

Biden stressed that “it is necessary to continue the (national emergency) declared in Executive Order No. (12957) with respect to Iran and to maintain comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat.”

The “national emergency” was first declared by former President Bill Clinton in an executive order on March 15, 1995, based on “the extraordinary threats created by the actions and policies of the Iranian government against the national interests and U.S. foreign policy; Including missile development, support for terrorist groups, malign activities by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, regional destabilization, and possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Russia reacts to US plans for building a port in Gaza: Dancing on bones, fake projects, and making fun of people

Russia reacts to US plans for building a port in Gaza: Dancing on bones, fake projects, and making fun of people

    Wednesday, March 13, 2024   No comments

On Wednesday, Russia described US plans to build a temporary seaport on the Gaza coast to provide humanitarian aid to the Strip as “dancing on the bones and fictitious projects that need peace first.”

Regarding the seriousness of the United States’ initiative to build a temporary port in a war zone, Russian FM spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during press briefing in Moscow, that this amounts to “dancing on the bones and mocking people.”

She added: "When civilians die there every day, we need to talk about their fates, not about some imaginary future projects that first and foremost need peace to implement."

She referred to the United States’ reluctance to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying: “When a country, and I am talking now about the United States, does not want to formulate a call for a ceasefire, how can we deal with initiatives to build civilian infrastructure where they do not want a ceasefire?” fire".

US President Joe Biden announced that he had instructed the army to establish a temporary port near the coast of Gaza, indicating that more humanitarian aid would enter Gaza by sea through the port without American soldiers setting foot on the territory of the Strip.

An American woman injured in Gaza says, “I will not leave Gaza”

An American woman injured in Gaza says, “I will not leave Gaza”

    Wednesday, March 13, 2024   No comments

 Journalist Hani Abu Rizq documented the moment an American woman named Deborah was pulled from under the rubble due to the Israeli forces bombing her house in the city of Deir al-Balah. 

Deborah suffered injuries in various parts of her body. She had a message to Arabs and to the US: I cannot leave, I should not leave; you should be here to stop this.

    

French artist Corinne Raye, known as "Coco" publishes a cartoon in the newspaper "Liberation" mocking Muslims in Gaza, who are being starved to death

French artist Corinne Raye, known as "Coco" publishes a cartoon in the newspaper "Liberation" mocking Muslims in Gaza, who are being starved to death

    Wednesday, March 13, 2024   No comments

Freedom of expression has no limits in the West, when the freedom of expression is used to attack Muslims, and now Muslims who are subjected starvation. The left-wing newspaper Liberation in France published a racist cartoon about the month of Ramadan in Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a murderous, destructive Israeli war since last October 7.

 The French artist wanted to depict the scene of hunger in the Strip, so she showed the man chasing rats in search of food to satisfy his hunger.

Liberation newspaper's editor-in-chief is Dov Alfon, who formerly worked for Israel's military intelligence unit 8200. The newspaper is owned by French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi.

This happens at a time when UN agencies gave reported catastrophic conditions in Gaza due to US government repeated vetoes that prevented UNSC resolutions from being adopted, and thanks to Western governments lack of concern for the deaths among civilians, 31,000 at this point, 72% are children and women. 

 

In Gaza, thousands of children have been injured and killed, more are losing their lives to malnutrition and diseases, hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

All children in Gaza are exposed to widespread destruction, deeply distressing events and trauma. ~ UNICEF, Mar. 12, 2024.

  

Queen Rania: Dropping aid is not an alternative to opening the crossings, and what is happening is systematic action targeting children

Queen Rania: Dropping aid is not an alternative to opening the crossings, and what is happening is systematic action targeting children

    Tuesday, March 12, 2024   No comments

Queen Rania said in an interview with CNN  that “as much as October 7 was shocking to Israel, it does not have the right to commit one atrocity after another against the Palestinians.” 

It should be noted that, just yesterday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was "appalled" by conflict continuing in Gaza despite the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Queen added that Israel witnessed one of the 7th of October, just as the Palestinians witnessed 156 of the seventh of October.

“They go through it every day,” she said, “and before that they lived through 50 years of occupation, restrictions on movement, control over every aspect of their lives, and humiliation.”

Queen Rania Al Abdullah continued in her statements: “If I were to address the Israeli public, I would say that if you want peace and security, you must address this great injustice on your doorstep... There are no shortcuts.”

She also pointed out that it is not a coincidence that we are witnessing one of the most violent episodes of conflict under one of the most rigid and racist regimes in the history of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu said that his policy is based on the principle of "divide and rule."

She continued: “Even before October 7, a record number of settlement expansions had been recorded... Israel is also allowed to violate international law; as long as its allies do not demand that it bear responsibility, its sense of immunity will increase. For years, Israel has been talking about Peace, but it sentenced him to death through the settlements.”

Guterres: Despite the start of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, and the attack on Rafah pushes the population to new depths in hell

Guterres: Despite the start of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, and the attack on Rafah pushes the population to new depths in hell

    Monday, March 11, 2024   No comments

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was "appalled" by conflict continuing in Gaza despite the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Speaking after the failure of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire, Guterres called for "silencing the guns" in Gaza and warned that "hunger and malnutrition" are taking hold.

"This is heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable," Guterres told reporters.

"I am appalled and outraged that conflict is continuing in Gaza during this holy month," he said, adding that "all obstacles" to aid delivery should be removed.

The United Nations says that lack of humanitarian aid means famine is a growing risk in Gaza, where 2.4 million people are under near-total siege by the Israeli military, as it battles Hamas militants.

"We cannot look away. We must act to avoid more preventable deaths," Guterres said.

"We have witnessed month after month of civilian killing and destruction at a level that is unprecedented in all my years as Secretary-General," he said.

But aid "is coming in trickles – if it comes at all. International humanitarian law lies in tatters."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that despite the start of the holy month of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in the Gaza Strip.

Guterres warned, in a press conference, that “the threat of an attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip may push the people of Gaza to new depths in hell.”

He urged action to avoid more “preventable” deaths in Gaza.

He stressed that “despite the month of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza.”

Guterres said: “My strongest call today is to silence the weapons in Gaza and Sudan “out of respect for the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan.”

He also called for removing “all obstacles to ensure the rapid and widespread delivery of life-saving aid.”

He also called for the “immediate release of all hostages” held by Hamas.

Regarding life-saving aid, Guterres said that it “comes in drops, if it arrives at all.”

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure, which led to Tel Aviv being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of “genocide.” Collective.”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations also touched on the situation in Sudan, reiterating his call for “a cessation of hostilities during the month of Ramadan.”

“The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships,” he said.

He stressed that “the time has come for peace” in Gaza, Sudan and beyond.

Guterres concluded his speech by saying: “We have witnessed, month after month, the killing and destruction of civilians at an unprecedented level throughout the years I spent as Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Israeli Minister of Defense wished Muslims of Gaza a Ramadan Kareem

Meanwhile, Galant, the Israeli Minister of Defense wished Muslims of Gaza a Ramadan Kareem. Of note, the same official ordered food, water, electricity, gas cut off.

Ramadan Mubarak to you; blessed is the cherished month.

Every year and you are well. May God bring it back to you with good and prosperity.

 

Erdogan: “No one can push us to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization... Netanyahu one of the Nazis of our time"

Erdogan: “No one can push us to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization... Netanyahu one of the Nazis of our time"

    Saturday, March 09, 2024   No comments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed on Saturday his “firm” support for the leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which has been waging a war against the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip for more than 5 months.

The Turkish President said during a speech in Istanbul: “No one can push us to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Turkey is the country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders, and stands firmly behind them.”

On the other hand, he said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government added their names to Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, as the Nazis of our time through the crimes against humanity they committed in Gaza.

He stressed that Turkey is the most supportive of the Palestinian cause as a state and people, at the highest levels, stressing that his country will continue to do what is necessary to hold Israeli officials accountable for the massacres committed in Gaza in accordance with international law.

He expressed his regret that the Islamic world, with a population of about two billion people, was unable to carry out its duty of brotherhood towards the Palestinian people to the fullest extent.

Erdogan added that more than 32,000 Palestinians have been martyred so far, and more than 72,000 have been injured as a result of Israeli attacks that directly target civilians in the Gaza Strip.