U.K. will recognize Palestinian statehood by fall unless Israel takes 'substantive steps' on Gaza, PM says
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National Post
25 minutes ago
- National Post
Irwin Cotler & Noah Lew: We support a two-state solution. But not this way
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada intends to recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September. This follows similar announcements by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Article content Fortunately, unlike Macron's approach (pledging unconditional recognition) and Starmer's approach (pledging conditional recognition, yet perversely imposing those conditions on Israel, rather than the Palestinians), Carney made Canada's recognition of the state of Palestine dependent on the Palestinian Authority meeting two key conditions: Democratization, described as fundamental governance reforms and a promise to hold elections in 2026, with Hamas precluded from participating; and the demilitarization of the future Palestinian state. Article content Article content Article content At first glance, this announcement appears to be a step in the right direction. We strongly support a two-state solution, involving two democratic countries for two peoples, living alongside one another in peace, security and mutual recognition of each others' legitimacy. Carney's preconditions appear to seek something very similar — requiring the state of Palestine to be democratic and to be demilitarized, which is key to securing peace and security for the two nations. Article content Article content Regrettably, it is highly unlikely that Canada's approach will be successful, as it suffers from several key flaws. First and foremost, Canada's framework is backwards. The future state of Palestine should be required to meet certain preconditions — including those put forward by Carney, and then Canada should recognize Palestine as a state — not the other way around. Article content Under Carney's framework, Canada will recognize the state of Palestine in September — less than two months from now. It is inconceivable that Canada's conditions could be met in that time frame. Accordingly, either Canada will not go ahead with recognizing Palestine at the UN, or the 'conditions' will prove to be unenforceable, aspirational rhetoric that fail to achieve their intended goals — a democratic, peaceful Palestinian state. This is readily apparent upon a closer inspection of the conditions. Article content Article content The 'democratization' condition does not make Canada's recognition of Palestine conditional on that state being democratic — rather, it makes it conditional on the unenforceable promise made by someone who has ruled over an authoritarian, ineffectual and deeply corrupt government for 20 years that it will be transformed overnight into a functional democracy. Article content Article content To make matters worse, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly broken his promises to hold elections in the past. One of us (Irwin Cotler) has personally met with Abbas and his former foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, many times over the years. They have repeatedly promised that they would abolish the pay-for-slay program, end incitement and move towards demilitarization, de-radicalization and the like. Regrettably, those promises have largely gone unfulfilled. Article content Canada's second precondition, demilitarization, is equally unfeasible. The PA only has tenuous control over the West Bank, and has no control whatsoever over Gaza (assuming these will be the recognized territorial boundaries of the state of Palestine). Gaza is currently controlled by a genocidal terrorist organization, Hamas, whose sworn purpose is the annihilation of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, and has promised to repeat the events of October 7 'again and again.'
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
A settler accused of killing a Palestinian activist is to be freed. Israel still holds the body
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli settler accused of killing a prominent Palestinian activist during a confrontation captured on video in the occupied West Bank will be released from house arrest, an Israeli court ruled Friday. The video shot by a Palestinian witness shows Yinon Levi brandishing a pistol and tussling with a group of unarmed Palestinians. He can be seen firing two shots, but the video does not show where the bullets hit.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A settler accused of killing a Palestinian activist is to be freed. Israel still holds the body
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli settler accused of killing a prominent Palestinian activist during a confrontation captured on video in the occupied West Bank will be released from house arrest, an Israeli court ruled Friday. The video shot by a Palestinian witness shows Yinon Levi brandishing a pistol and tussling with a group of unarmed Palestinians. He can be seen firing two shots, but the video does not show where the bullets hit. Witnesses said one of the shots killed Awdah Hathaleen, an English teacher and father of three, who was uninvolved and was standing nearby. The Israeli military is still holding Hathaleen's body and says it will only be returned if the family agrees to bury him in a nearby city. It said the measure was being taken to 'prevent public disorder.' The confrontation occurred on Monday in the village of Umm al-Khair, in an area of the West Bank featured in 'No Other Land,' an Oscar-winning documentary about settler violence and life under Israeli military rule. In a court decision obtained by The Associated Press, Judge Havi Toker wrote that there was 'no dispute' that Levi shot his gun in the village that day, but she said he may have been acting in self-defense and that the court could not establish that the shots killed Hathaleen. Israel's military and police did not respond to a request for comment on whether anyone else may have fired shots that day. Multiple calls placed to Levi and his lawyer have not been answered. The judge said Levi did not pose such a danger as to justify his continued house arrest but barred him from contact with the villagers for a month. Levi has been sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries over allegations of past violence toward Palestinians. President Donald Trump lifted the U.S. sanctions on Levi and other radical settlers shortly after returning to office. A total of 18 Palestinians from the village were arrested after the incident. Six remain in detention. Eitay Mack, an Israeli lawyer who has lobbied for sanctions against radical settlers, including Levi, said the court ruling did not come as a surprise. 'Automatically, Palestinian victims are considered suspects, while Jewish suspects are considered victims,' he said. Levi helped establish an settler outpost near Umm al-Khair that anti-settlement activists say is a bastion for violent settlers who have displaced hundreds since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinians and rights groups have long accused Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to settler violence, which has surged since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, along with attacks by Palestinians. In a 2024 interview, Levi said he was protecting his own land and denied using violence. Some 70 women in Umm al-Khair said they were beginning a hunger strike on Friday to call for Hathaleen's body to be returned and for the right of his family to bury him in the village. Israel's military said in a statement to the AP that it would return the body if the family agrees to bury him in the 'nearest authorized cemetery.' Hathaleen, 31, had written and spoke out against settler violence, and had helped produce the Oscar-winning film. Supporters have erected murals in his honor in Rome, held vigils in New York and have held signs bearing his name at anti-war protests in Tel Aviv.
