Senator Gold, yesterday on the floor of the United Nations, the Trudeau government embarrassed itself and the country by aligning itself with Russia, Iran, Turkey and totalitarian Beijing in handcuffing Israel for its legitimate right to defend its territory and its people by supporting a ceasefire motion that doesn’t say a single word or doesn’t once call out the totalitarian terrorist regime called Hamas.

Senator Gold, in your view as government leader, as representative of the government, is this something that you recommended to the Prime Minister and this government to do? In your view, do you support this motion?

Normally, one thanks one for the question, but I’m not going to thank you for the question.

I support Canada’s position in the Middle East, a long-standing position of all governments on a two-state solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.

Let me read to you from the joint statement that the Prime Minister made with our democratic allies in the Five Eyes, Australia and New Zealand:

We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel on October 7, the appalling loss of life, and the heinous acts of violence perpetrated in those attacks, including sexual violence. We condemn Hamas’ unacceptable treatment of hostages and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.

With regard to the idea of a ceasefire, this is what the Prime Minister said with his allies:

We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms.

There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.

As representative of the government and personally, I subscribe to each and every one of these words.

Calm down, everyone, because none of those words are in the motion of the United Nations that was supported — none of those words. What we saw in that motion was no condemnation of Hamas and no reiteration of a two-state solution whatsoever. When our government signed onto that motion, it was a message that it is open season on Canadians of Jewish faith, allowing Canadians in this country to go in front of Jewish establishments and call for the death of Israel and the death of the Jewish people.

Take those words from the statement the government put out here in Canada and put them into that UN declaration, and then you can say you support it.

I did not say anything other than I supported the words that I read, and I stand by what I said.

The UN declaration has your government’s support and you support it.

I believe that I still have the floor.

You have it.

I repeat what I said. You are entitled, as your party has done since the Harper era, to use the Israeli-Palestinian situation as a wedge issue. You are entitled to ask me any question you want in this chamber, even though you know where I come from and where I stand. I stand by what I said. I stand by Canada’s position in the Middle East, a long-standing position that has not played wedge politics with something that is so painful and difficult for members of my community, the Arab and the Islamic community. Shame on —