Report of MP delegation to Palestine and Israel

In late June, a group of MPs, mostly members of the Canada-Palestine Friendship Group, published a report concerning a visit to Palestine and Israel. Between March 30-April 6, 2018, 18 MPs, representing the five parties in Parliament, travelled to the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials and to learn more about the social and political challenges facing the region.

This visit is a significant step for Canada, as it represents the first cross-party delegation to visit the region primarily focusing on Palestine. Participants clearly saw the systemic apparatus of occupation, especially when the delegation was denied passage through one of the many checkpoints without any explanation given. Most noteworthy in the report, however, are the three concrete recommendations to the Canadian government. The first recommendation includes the appointment of a Special Envoy to evaluate the human rights situation of Palestinian children living under occupation, with a specific focus on Israeli military law and practices. Further, the report stresses a continuation of financial assistance to UNRWA and an exerted diplomatic effort to bring Israeli settlement construction to a halt in the Palestinian territory. See also the Canada talks Israel/Palestine blog for more reflection on the report.

If you would like to thank the MP delegation for their participation in this trip, you can join others in sending a message of thanks here.

Changes to Canada’s military mission in Iraq 

In June 2018 the Canadian government announced two major policy shifts concerning its mission in Iraq.

First, the shift for Canada’s military trainers to support Iraqi Government forces in the re-building of Mosul. Last fall, Canada’s military assistance in Iraq was halted, as the two major groups Canada supported – the Kurdish Peshmerga, and the Iraqi Government Forces – were fighting each other. In this new mission, Canada will be working primarily with Iraqi Government forces. Yet, as some critiques have argued, Canada’s shifting alliances, plus the complexities of the players in the region, could potentially do more harm than good.   

Second, less than a week later, Canada committed to leading a separate military mission in Iraq under the banner of NATO. This mission is focused on Baghdad, the goal being to maintain stability in the capital. Specifics are still a bit hazy, while critiques in this case are speculating that the motivations behind this move are founded in Canada’s need to prove itself to the world, particularly the U.S.

Beyond the critiques of these mission shifts, we must ask the larger questions to our governments: are foreign military interventions the key to Iraq’s reconstruction and long-term stability? What do local organizations and communities say? How are we addressing the root causes of conflict and sectarian strife?