Latest news with #Abuamara
Hamilton Spectator
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Mark Carney, Palestinian Authority aligned on conditions for statehood, but ‘it won't happen overnight,' PA diplomat says
OTTAWA — Canada has no specific demands for the Palestinian Authority to meet in order to recognize the State of Palestine at September's UN General Assembly, the PA's most recent top official in Ottawa says, but reforms to achieve statehood are 'not going to happen overnight.' Echoing Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks Wednesday , Mona Abuamara, the PA's Ambassador to Italy and formerly the chief representative in Canada for the last four years, told the Star in an interview that the conditions laid out by Ottawa to recognize a Palestinian state are in fact the goals of the Palestinian Authority that were communicated to Canada and other nations. Mona Abuamara, the Palestinian Authority's ambassador to Italy and formerly the chief representative in Canada for the last four years. 'It's not that it's asked of us and pushed on us,' Abuamara told the Star Thursday. 'Those are things that we want to have, because we want to build a state that's independent and viable, democratic, and we want to be able to have our people choose their leadership.' 'It wasn't preconditioned recognition. It was mutual agreement on the things that we're on the same page.' In making those comments, Abuamara shed further light on the process leading up to Canada's decision this week to recognize a Palestinian state, but she also laid bare the challenges ahead to actually achieve a viable Palestinian state in the face of Israeli and Hamas resistance. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Carney expressed little doubt Ottawa would follow through in September, saying Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas repeatedly committed to elections in 2026, the exclusion of Hamas and the demilitarization of a future Palestinian state. But Abuamara, who said the Canadians don't expect any results by September, acknowledged following through on those reforms will be an uphill climb, and will require a massive international effort. 'It's not going to happen overnight,' Abuamara said. 'We have Gaza that has been levelled to the ground, and we have a Jerusalem that's occupied. So those things we will need to have been resolved by the international community, so we would be able to have an election in Palestine.' In announcing Canada's plan to recognize a Palestinian state, Carney on Wednesday spoke of how prospects of a negotiated two-state solution have increasingly dimmed amid Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, the Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel's ensuing invasion of Gaza. Since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 people and captured more than 250 hostages, Israel's military response has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza. On top of those conditions, the Palestinian Authority, the main alternative leadership to Hamas, has been rife with allegations of corruption and deep mistrust among Palestinians, dampening its international reputation. But amid little progress on a ceasefire and escalating outrage over the mounting death toll, the mass starvation and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, several nations are attempting to revive momentum for a two-state solution. That's what compelled France and Saudi Arabia to hold a joint UN conference on the topic, and what later led Paris, the U.K., Ottawa and others to announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state led by the PA. The current Israeli government, however, rejects a two-state solution. Declaring 'Israel will not bow to the distorted campaign of international pressure against it,' Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, said Wednesday there is no reason to trust the Palestinian Authority and argued the move will harden Hamas during ceasefire and hostage negotiations, a view shared by the United States. 'President Abbas's latest vision for the future sharply contrasts with the Palestinian Authority's long-standing record; thus, it is hard to see his new-found 'commitments' as more than a thinly veiled strategy to maintain the status quo with the sympathy and support of the international community,' Moed said. 'Canada and its allies should not be under an illusion otherwise.' Thomas Juneau, a University of Ottawa professor who specialized in the Middle East, said that without a change in government in Israel, it's unlikely the conditions for a two-state solution will be met. 'Everybody is careful in talking about that, because ... Canada and other countries don't want to be seen as directly intervening in Israeli affairs,' Juneau said. 'But everybody knows that this current government, given its makeup, is not interested in a two state solution.' Likewise, purging Hamas, which rules Gaza, out of Palestinian society is also a tall order, said Louise Blais, a former Canadian representative to the UN. 'Hamas is an idea, as well,' Blais said. 'And it's going to live on in the people.'
Vancouver Sun
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Canada recognizing Palestinian statehood right now would be a 'grave mistake': Israel
The embassy of Israel to Canada says that recognizing Palestinian statehood 'at this time' would be a 'grave mistake.' 'Such a step would amount to an unconscionable reward for the heinous Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 — an attack marked by mass murder and the brutal kidnapping of innocent civilians, including Canadian citizens,' it said in an emailed statement to National Post on Wednesday. 'Rather than advancing peace, it would legitimize violence and severely undermine international efforts to restore stability and security in the region.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The statement comes after chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada Mona Abuamara told The Canadian Press she feels that Canada is getting closer to formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. In an article published on Wednesday, she said the recognition would 'set in stone for Canadians the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.' Abuamara has been in the role, which is to promote and strengthen relations between Palestinians and Canada, since 2021. It is coming to an end after her four-year term. She was appointed by a government that only has control of the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip, CP said. She is still pushing for Canada to take a harsher stance on Israel's actions in Gaza, and has commended Canada for its recent use of 'tougher language.' 'Accountability means everything to the Palestinian people. That's all we are looking for,' said Abuamara. 'Canada could have done better and must do better.' Canada's approach to the conflict in recent years has been to support Israel 'without budging,' she said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian territories received funding for smaller projects, such as police training. The mentality was that the Palestinian territories would be 'managed under the occupation,' she said, adding that she was looking to Canada to 'get rid of that occupation instead, so we could make our own money.' Israel maintains that it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Abuamara praised the Carney government for making 'stronger, clearer statements,' and mentioned comments made by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. Speaking to reporters in May , Anand said Israel used food as a political tool and that more than 50,000 people have died as a result of Israel's 'aggression.' That number, which cannot be independently verified, was provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. In an Instagram post on June 3 , Senator Marilou McPhedran thanked Abuamara for her 'hard work and advocacy.' McPhedran, along with other senators from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, urged the Canadian government to recognize a State of Palestine, among other demands, in a June 25 news release. 'Canada needs to just stand by international law,' Abuamara told CP. 'It's not about Palestine. It's about the international rules-based order, about human rights, about values and principles.' The federal government said in May 2024 it is 'prepared to recognize a Palestinian state at the time most conducive to lasting peace, not necessarily as the last step along the path to achieving the two-state solution.' Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to questions about the Middle East during an interview with CNN in late June. 'Can there be a lasting peace in the Middle East without peace in Gaza, that takes into account Gaza and West Bank and effectively working on a path to a Palestinian state? I would agree with all of those,' he said. '(Palestinians) living side by side in security with Israel — a Zionist, if you will, Palestinian state that recognizes the right of Israel not just to exist, but to prosper and not live in fear — we can't have peace unless we move towards that.' Abuamara said talks with other countries, including a recent one between Canada, Qatar, and Mexico, are helping to push Canada toward recognizing Palestinian statehood. Although a United Nations conference set to be organized by France and Saudi Arabia was cancelled due to the Israel-Iran war, she said there would be conversations about how to achieve that goal when it's rescheduled. At a White House dinner this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked whether or not he believed there could be an independent Palestine. 'I think Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us and that means that certain powers, like overall security, will always remain in our hands,' he said. 'After October 7th, people said the Palestinians have a state, a Hamas state in Gaza, and look what they did with it. They didn't build it up. They built down into bunkers, into terror tunnels after which they massacred our people, raped our women, beheaded our men, invaded our cities and our towns, our kibbutzim and did horrendous massacres, the kind of which we didn't see since World War Two and the Nazis, the Holocaust. So people aren't likely to say, 'Let's just give them another state.' It'll be a platform to destroy Israel.' Carney's office did not respond to National Post's request for comment. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Canada recognizing Palestinian statehood right now would be a 'grave mistake': Israel
The embassy of Israel to Canada says that recognizing Palestinian statehood 'at this time' would be a 'grave mistake.' Article content 'Such a step would amount to an unconscionable reward for the heinous Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 — an attack marked by mass murder and the brutal kidnapping of innocent civilians, including Canadian citizens,' it said in an emailed statement to National Post on Wednesday. Article content Article content 'Rather than advancing peace, it would legitimize violence and severely undermine international efforts to restore stability and security in the region.' Article content Article content Abuamara has been in the role, which is to promote and strengthen relations between Palestinians and Canada, since 2021. It is coming to an end after her four-year term. She was appointed by a government that only has control of the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip, CP said. She is still pushing for Canada to take a harsher stance on Israel's actions in Gaza, and has commended Canada for its recent use of 'tougher language.' Article content Article content 'Accountability means everything to the Palestinian people. That's all we are looking for,' said Abuamara. 'Canada could have done better and must do better.' Article content Article content Canada's approach to the conflict in recent years has been to support Israel 'without budging,' she said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian territories received funding for smaller projects, such as police training. The mentality was that the Palestinian territories would be 'managed under the occupation,' she said, adding that she was looking to Canada to 'get rid of that occupation instead, so we could make our own money.' Israel maintains that it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Article content Abuamara praised the Carney government for making 'stronger, clearer statements,' and mentioned comments made by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. Speaking to reporters in May, Anand said Israel used food as a political tool and that more than 50,000 people have died as a result of Israel's 'aggression.' That number, which cannot be independently verified, was provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Calgary Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Canada recognizing Palestinian statehood right now would be a 'grave mistake': Israel
The embassy of Israel to Canada says that recognizing Palestinian statehood 'at this time' would be a 'grave mistake.' Article content 'Such a step would amount to an unconscionable reward for the heinous Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 — an attack marked by mass murder and the brutal kidnapping of innocent civilians, including Canadian citizens,' it said in an emailed statement to National Post on Wednesday. Article content Article content Article content 'Rather than advancing peace, it would legitimize violence and severely undermine international efforts to restore stability and security in the region.' Article content Article content The statement comes after chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada Mona Abuamara told The Canadian Press she feels that Canada is getting closer to formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. In an article published on Wednesday, she said the recognition would 'set in stone for Canadians the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.' Article content Abuamara has been in the role, which is to promote and strengthen relations between Palestinians and Canada, since 2021. It is coming to an end after her four-year term. She was appointed by a government that only has control of the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip, CP said. She is still pushing for Canada to take a harsher stance on Israel's actions in Gaza, and has commended Canada for its recent use of 'tougher language.' Article content Article content 'Accountability means everything to the Palestinian people. That's all we are looking for,' said Abuamara. 'Canada could have done better and must do better.' Article content Article content Canada's approach to the conflict in recent years has been to support Israel 'without budging,' she said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian territories received funding for smaller projects, such as police training. The mentality was that the Palestinian territories would be 'managed under the occupation,' she said, adding that she was looking to Canada to 'get rid of that occupation instead, so we could make our own money.' Israel maintains that it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Article content Abuamara praised the Carney government for making 'stronger, clearer statements,' and mentioned comments made by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. Speaking to reporters in May, Anand said Israel used food as a political tool and that more than 50,000 people have died as a result of Israel's 'aggression.' That number, which cannot be independently verified, was provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Envoy says Canada is coming closer to recognizing Palestinian statehood
OTTAWA – The Palestinian ambassador to Canada says she feels Ottawa is on the brink of officially recognizing statehood for her people, as she also takes note of tougher language from Canada on Israel's actions in Gaza. 'Accountability means everything to the Palestinian people. That's all we are looking for,' said Mona Abuamara, who is at the end of her four-year term as the chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada. 'Canada could have done better and must do better.' Abuamara said Canada's approach to the situation in the Palestinian territories in recent years has amounted to supporting Israel 'without budging' while funding small projects such as police training and development work. 'Basically, (it was to) be managed under that occupation,' she said. 'But what we were looking for from Canada is to help us get rid of that occupation instead, so we could make our own money.' For decades, Canada has backed the creation of a Palestinian country to exist in peace alongside a secure Israel. In May 2024, Ottawa said it no longer believes that recognizing Palestinian statehood can only happen after a peace negotiation. Around that time, Ottawa said it was assessing what conditions need to be in place, in order to proceed with formal recognition. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Abuamara said Canada is now edging even closer toward that formal recognition. She cited a June 10 consultation event Canada co-hosted with Qatar and Mexico at the United Nations headquarters on how to peacefully resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict and advance a two-state solution. The event was supposed to be part of a UN conference organized by France and Saudi Arabia; participating countries were expected to either recognize Palestine as a state or agree on steps toward doing so. The organizers postponed the conference when a war started between Israel and Iran, and no new date has been set. Abuamara said Canada had 'a lot of conversations' with France and others about moving Ottawa closer to recognizing Palestinian statehood when the UN conference eventually takes place. 'We've been very close, before the (April federal) election, to the recognition,' she said. The Canadian Press has asked the federal cabinet for comment but has not received a response. Israel has pushed back firmly on calls for Palestinian statehood, saying the territories have divided leadership and Hamas and Fatah both run corrupt governments that refuse to hold elections and have supported terrorists. Abuamara said recognizing Palestinian statehood would 'set in stone for Canadians the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.' Her work changed drastically on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, resulting in the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas and its affiliates killed 1,200 people in Israel, including soldiers, and took 251 people hostage; they still hold roughly 50. The attack prompted Israel to bombard Gaza. Hamas officials say Israeli military actions, including strikes on hospitals and refugee camps, have since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, including militants. The Israel-Gaza conflict has triggered tense protests on Canadian streets and a spike in hate crimes targeting Jews. Muslim and Arab Canadians, meanwhile, report being afraid to express criticism of Israel's military campaign because of the possible backlash. The war also has bolstered calls for recognition of a Palestinian state. Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state last year, citing Israeli officials' talk of annexing Palestinian territories. Abuamara's role is to speak for Palestinians across the Middle East, although she was appointed by a government that only has control of the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip. She said her posting in Canada left her dismayed by the shortage of Palestinian voices in the media and on academic panels. She said she struggled to get direct meetings with Canadian government officials. But she noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney has been using stronger language to criticize Israeli policies and actions than did his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. 'We've seen stronger, clearer statements since the Carney government took office,' she said. 'There is less two sides-ism, less not naming the perpetrator of the crime.' She also cited comments Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand made in May describing Israel's military campaign as 'aggression caused against the Palestinian and the Gazan people in Palestine.' In those comments, the minister took the unconventional step of citing 'Palestine' instead of the Palestinian territories. Anand also said that by restricting humanitarian aid in Gaza, Israel was 'using food as a political tool.' Israeli officials took issue with Anand's use of the word 'aggression' to describe a military campaign to neutralize the threat of Hamas. Abuamara said it was refreshing to see Canada call out violence toward civilians in the Middle East as it often does for Ukrainians attacked by Russia. 'Canada needs to just stand by international law,' she said. 'It's not about Palestine. It's about the international rules-based order, about human rights, about values and principles.' Canada has been pushing Israel for more accountability on a number of incidents in Gaza, including in May after Israeli soldiers in the West Bank fired shots in the vicinity of Canadian and other diplomats during a humanitarian assessment of the Jenin refugee camp. Canada summoned Israel's ambassador following that event and is still awaiting the results of an investigation into what happened. Abuamara said the lack of accountability for that incident illustrates how Palestinians feel when they level accusations against Israeli soldiers. 'It's just exactly what we want the Canadian government and the Canadian people to know — this is what we have been living for decades. Israel is never wrong,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
