Carney's policy shift on Palestinian statehood met with cautious hope, criticism by Canadians
In all, the resident of London, Ont., has lost 15 close relatives in the Middle East conflict, but a tally of extended family members reaches closer to 100. So while Ms. Sultan welcomes the news that Canada intends to recognize the state of Palestine, she says more is needed than just words.
'It is a significant step in aligning Canada with other countries in the world,' said Ms. Sultan, a pharmacist, in an interview on Thursday.
'But at the same time, it's very important to emphasize that what is needed right now is to ensure that we end the genocide in Gaza, and for the government to take immediate action to save lives of Palestinians. What good is statehood if it's built on the graves of an entire population?'
What does Canada's recognition of a Palestinian state mean in practice?
Canada's plan to recognize Palestinian statehood prompts swift, divided reaction
Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement Wednesday that Canada intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September has been met with both cautious hope and urgent demands from Canadians with deep ties to the region.
Seen by many as an overdue recognition of Palestinian rights, the move has also been criticized as a symbolic gesture with little meaning without change on the ground. Others take issue with the timing.
Former justice minister Irwin Cotler, a noted human-rights advocate and Canada's first Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, supports Mr. Carney's intention to recognize an independent and democratic Palestinian state. However, he said it should have followed the mandated requirements under international law rather than trusting in good faith that the necessary conditions can be met.
The Montevideo Convention, signed in 1933, sets out widely accepted criteria for statehood: a permanent population, a defined territory, a functioning government and the ability to engage in foreign relations.
Mr. Carney had said that Canada's 'intention is predicated' on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to essential reforms, including that president Mahmoud Abbas hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas would be unable to take part.
'I have been a supporter of 'Two states for two peoples' for more than 55 years now, not as an idle or lazy slogan, but one which presupposes a mutual acknowledgment of each other's legitimacy, and right to live in peace and security; and two democratic, rights-protecting states side-by-side,' Mr. Cotler wrote in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail.
'What we don't need is another authoritarian or terrorist-supporting state in the Middle East.'
Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor who is now a professor of medicine and public health at the University of Toronto, said Canada's move is a step in the right direction but that more action is required. He cited as an example the need for Canada to stop sending arms to Israel.
Dr. Abuelaish said more than 70 of his family members have been killed in the conflict with Israel, and he wonders whether his relatives in northern Gaza will witness Canada's recognition of Palestinian statehood this fall.
'Are they going to be alive in September, to enjoy it, to celebrate it, to give them hope, to inspire them to keep moving forward?' Dr. Abuelaish said.
'It's an urgent situation. This war crime of starving the people, depriving them from the essential needs, needs to stop.'
Montreal resident Stuart Lubarsky lost five family members when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
'We've been wanting a two-state solution since the existence of Israel, so I have no problem with the recognition of Palestine as an independent state,' he said. 'It's just this is not the right time, in my opinion – not under these circumstances.'
Mr. Lubarsky said he wouldn't agree with Canada's position until the hostages that were taken by Hamas are returned.
Ben Losman, a core organizer with Toronto Jewish Families, a group dedicated to ending both anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism in the Toronto District School Board, said the recognition is an overdue and necessary step.
'Growing up in a Jewish community, the idea that we would prevent genocide from ever taking place ever again was something that was very much a part of my Jewish education, Jewish identity,' he said. 'Like so many people, I've been horrified to find that the perpetrators of genocide are the Israeli government.'
Mr. Losman said Canada's recognition 'must be paired with an immediate comprehensive, two-way arms embargo and efforts to establish the free flow of aid immediately throughout Gaza.'
Karen Golden, a Toronto-based lawyer and Israeli citizen who worked for years in Jerusalem, met Bashar Alshawwa at an environmental conference last year, shortly after the Gaza native arrived in Canada from Ramallah. The pair soon became friends, sharing many family dinners with their partners and children.
As their connection grew deeper, they often found themselves asking why such partnerships between Jewish and Palestinian communities remain so rare. They believe Canada's announcement is a step toward peaceful co-existence.
'I'm hopeful and optimistic that it reduces the polarization and divisions we've been seeing in Canada,' Mr. Alshawwa said Thursday. 'This recognition is a reflection of this country's commitment for justice as part of its core identity. It's stating that Canada won't keep allowing for such atrocities happening around the clock in Palestine.'
Ms. Golden and Mr. Alshawwa have been advocating in Canada as part of Standing Together, an anti-war organization in Israel that has called for a ceasefire and protested human-rights abuses in the troubled region.
Ms. Golden said she is disappointed by the swift condemnation from major Jewish groups of Canada's decision this week.
'By conflating anti-war sentiments with antisemitism, they're denying – without any empathy – that Palestinians are equal humans deserving of equal rights as Jewish people,' she said.
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