QUESTION PERIOD — Global Affairs
Conflict in Gaza Strip
June 11, 2025
Senator Gold, I would like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate you on your five years with the Government Representative Office, nine years as a senator and a lifetime of service to Canadians in your community and across the country.
I know my questions to you on Israel and Palestine may have caused you some discomfort, but I assure you that this is the last time you will have to answer a question from me on this topic. A few hours ago, more than 20 senators attended a briefing on the plight of children in Ukraine and in Gaza. We learned about Canada’s outstanding leadership in protecting Ukrainian children and seeking justice for those who have been abducted by Russia. One of our colleagues asked about similar initiatives related to Palestinian children. No one could name even one initiative. Can you?
Thank you for your comments. This government is very seized with the plight of innocent civilians in Gaza, as it is with that of all those who are caught up in wars they hold no responsibility for. If I understand your question, I am not aware of initiatives for kidnapped Palestinian children, whether in Gaza or the West Bank. However, the government is seized with the plight of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers who are still living in darkness and fear in tunnels 615-odd days since the war began. This government will continue to press for an end to the war, the release of all hostages, a ceasefire and the expansion of humanitarian aid for all innocent civilians.
We learned in the briefing that there are thousands of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons, and the 10 or so humanitarian organizations who attended today’s briefing, led by Save the Children, agreed that there is an immense and profound gulf between the way Canada has responded to the crisis in Gaza and our own very worthy and necessary measures in Ukraine. What is the reason for this double standard, and how does Canada defend it from the perspective of international law?
Canada’s position on the conflict in the Middle East is consistent with international law, and the government is of the view that there is no double standard at work. The circumstances of each conflict, tragic as they are for all who are caught up in them, must be understood in their complexity and specificity.
