Thomas Mulcair’s Middle East leadership campaign policy statement
Thank you for contacting my campaign regarding issues concerning the Middle East, which are of utmost importance to me—as they are to party members and Canadians alike.
As Leader of the New Democratic Party, my approach to the Middle East would be rooted in our party’s long standing values and policies. As I outlined in my recent policy announcement regarding foreign affairs, I am committed to an approach to foreign policy that integrates trade, aid, military, human rights, and climate change policies. Canada should offer preferential trade and assistance to countries based on their commitment to human rights, labour standards and environmental protection. As Prime Minister I would also work to implement the recommendations of the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility to ensure Canadian corporations, especially in the mining and extracting industries, conform to international standards.
Canada’s role in the Middle East should be, first and foremost, that of an honest broker representing our common values—supporting all those committed to the pursuit of peace, justice, democracy and economic development that benefits the average citizen, not only the elite.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a human tragedy that has continued for far too long. I reject the one-sided approach taken by the current government. Support for Israel and the Palestinians is not a zero-sum game. Support for Israel’s existence must not come at the expense of Palestinian national aspirations, and vice-versa. Both peoples have an absolutely equal right to self-determination.
Towards a two-state solution:
The NDP has a longstanding policy of support for a negotiated two-state solution which includes the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace in viable, independent states with negotiated, agreed-upon borders. A Palestinian state existing alongside a Jewish state—two states for two peoples—is the best guarantor for peace, security, prosperity, democracy, and social justice for both Israelis and Palestinians. An NDP government must work with both Israelis and Palestinians to forge that comprehensive peace accord and mark a final end to this conflict.
As we work toward the goal of a negotiated peace, I would follow the path laid out by our party caucus: Canada should support efforts by the Obama administration and other governments to negotiate language at the United Nations that would recognize the right of both states to exist while reaffirming the need for a negotiated settlement to the conflict rather than simply walking away from the table as has been the case with the current government. If we are to be an honest broker—if we reject the current government’s one sided approach—we must hold both sides in this conflict to the same standard.
Borders:
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Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been one of the chronic impediments to peace and constitute a violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. The consensus on how best to resolve this issue, as articulated by U.S. President Barack Obama, is through mutually agreed upon land swaps between Israel and the Palestinians in charting the definitive border between the two states. Based on UN Security Council Resolution 242, Israel must withdraw from territories occupied in 1967 in exchange for an end of conflict and acknowledgement of its right to exist in peace and security within recognized borders, free from threats or acts of force. An NDP government must push both sides to abide by Resolution 242 and reach a comprehensive peace agreement without delay.
Refugees:
Canada, as the gavel holder of the Refugee Working Group tasked with finding a solution for Palestinian refugees, is well placed to take a leadership role on the world stage in resolving this fundamental aspect of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. With our history of peaceful dispute resolution, Canada can have a major impact in helping the parties to overcome this critical impasse, successfully ameliorating the situation of the Palestinian refugees and helping them to settle permanently, with dignity and full rights, in a Palestinian state or their host countries. Canada’s government must step up to the plate and play a more active role in solving this pressing problem.
The debate here at home:
The debate about issues in the Middle East is intense and yet highly sensitive to many of those involved. As leaders, we should encourage an open and constructive debate. Make no mistake, both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim bigotry should be called out wherever they are seen, but our focus as should be to bring people together—transcending the boundaries that divide us. As a parliamentarian who has a long and deep history defending both the rights of both the Jewish and Muslim communities of Montreal—each of which have been amongst my strongest supporters in my own political career—those are not just words for me. I believe we can make those words a reality.
Sincerely,
Thomas Mulcair
