Canadian Parliament approved on Tuesday a non-binding resolution urging the international community to work towards achieving a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, in line with the government’s policy. The vote was delayed on Monday due to last-minute disagreements over the wording supporting the Palestinian state, where the Liberals significantly altered its phrasing to align with the government’s vision of simply working towards achieving this goal as part of a two-state solution.
According to Canadian media, after appearing headed for failure when the ruling Liberals vowed on Monday not to let the opposition influence its foreign policy, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon shocked MPs when he rose in the final minutes of the debate to propose an approximately 500-word motion that rephrased significant parts of the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) proposal. The original motion was placed by the left-wing minority New Democratic Party (NDP), who help keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in power and are dissatisfied with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza.
The original version of the proposal called for Canada to “formally recognize the state of Palestine,” a step not taken by any G7 member state. After behind-the-scenes negotiations between the New Democratic Party and the Liberals, this wording was excluded and replaced with another that calls on the international community to work towards establishing a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution.
After generating significant interest and division among MPs during a debate that lasted almost a day, the NDP’s non-binding but symbolic proposal eventually passed with 17 votes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and almost all Liberal MPs voted in favor, along with the NDP, Bloc Québécois, and Green Party members. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his party voted against the proposal.
The change was in the last line, originally requesting the House to call on the government to “formally recognize the state of Palestine,” but was rewritten to say: “Work with international partners to actively seek a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East, including towards the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”
