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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, Aug. 6: ‘We need the United States, and our political policy has to be that the U.S. needs us'
Re 'What does Canada's recognition of a Palestinian state mean in practice?' (Aug. 1): I am one of the 173 former Canadian ambassador and diplomat signatories of the open letter to the Prime Minister on recognition of Palestinian statehood. I was disappointed that he chose to present his decision as predicated on several commitments from the Palestinian Authority, including government reform and elections next year and excluding any involvement of broken and nearly defeated Hamas. This sounds like rejection of the only two political forces or governments currently in existence in Palestine, all of it occupied by Israel at the present time. Somehow it does not sound very democratic. Marc Faguy Former Canadian ambassador; Ottawa Re 'What does Donald Trump want from Canada? We are about to find out' (Report on Business, Aug. 5): Donald Trump has stated clearly and often his goal of swallowing Canada by crushing us economically. We should admit he cannot be negotiated with and there are no deals to be had. Let's draw strength from looking forward, not backward, to grow our economy and distinct identity. As a dual citizen who lived most of my working years in the United States, I concluded that few Americans hate Canadians. Many do not even think about us. I also saw cities like Pittsburgh and Atlanta remake themselves through strong leaders who shared visions, created strategic links and led implementation. Canada can achieve this on a countrywide level. Please stop conjecturing about the next moves of a demonstrably intransigent ruler. We elected a centrist leader who helped build great companies and strengthened the Bank of Canada. Let's get behind him. Debra Saxe Thornhill, Ont. While 'elbows up' is an emotionally appealing slogan, the reality seems to be 'wake up.' I believe we need the United States, and our political policy has to be that the U.S. needs us. That should be the priority. We should, for one thing, scrap the Trudeau-era electric vehicle mandate to ensure our auto manufacturers are in sync with the dominant U.S. market. Donald Trump has said he wants all cars sold in the U.S. to be made in the U.S., and Canada does not have an independent domestic market. We need to trade. The history of sanctimoniously thumbing our noses at the U.S. should end. We can be proud Canadians, but that doesn't mean being unwise about what is in our economic self-interest. So wake up and end rah-rah economic nationalism. Ross Haynes Halifax Re 'Canada Post is a case study in Canadian dysfunctionality' (Online, Aug. 2): The near-70-per-cent vote against what I believe is a generous proposal shows me both the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post are blindly refusing to recognize the serious financial state of the mail delivery system. There should be a totally new approach to mail delivery. If there isn't a collaborative solution, then the choices look to be either bankruptcy or a painful mandated reduction of services. What will it be? Richard Dean Sidney, B.C. Re 'For some of Canada's most prestigious university programs, mid-90s grades are not enough' (July 30): From a Grade 12 student: 'Woe is me, my average is 95 and I can't get admission to any of the programs and universities that I've applied to.' In recent memory, 80 got students a monetary award from the Ontario government. An 80 today is perceived as being not very smart. The climate is inflating, the cost of living is inflating, so why not high-school grades? Come on, teachers should get back to more modest assessments. Louis Bodnar Professor and director of admissions, engineering (retired), University of Waterloo Tests are far from a perfect measure of a person's abilities. Some do well in tests because they have a memory for detail. Others are better at working in quiet settings, where they can consult their notes and consider their answers. The world is better for finding ways of employing both kinds of minds. Slow and deep can be better than fast and shallow. Nicholas Tracy Fredericton In 1978, for some reason I applied to and got into university, despite a Grade 13 average of around 60. The joke at the time, especially among University of Toronto students, was that York University's acceptance requirements were tuition and a pulse. But for an immigrant kid who was the first in family history to even apply to university, it was good enough, so off I went. I felt surrounded by brainiacs. Perhaps that's why I worked hard enough to finish my degree, and then law school following that. I am now several years retired from a successful career in law. At 65, I just passed exams and am licensed as an emergency medical responder. My grade? Good enough. Ron Beram Gabriola, B.C. Re 'Alberta's separatism is hollow, artificial and all about money' (Report on Business, July 30): While not a supporter of Alberta separatism and in agreement that Danielle Smith's flirtation with it is about money, not culture, I do not believe it is 'hollow' and 'artificial.' Alberta separatism has deep roots in populist agrarian dissent against central Canadian institutions. Many Albertans believe the province remains a colony hostage to the political whims of Ontario and Quebec. Also unique is the central role of the 'Calgary School' of economists, historians and political scientists. A generation of university-educated Albertans grew up with the idea of Alberta exceptionalism forged out of American values and its colonial status vis-a-vis the federal government. What is not hollow and artificial is the reality that without Alberta energy exports, Canada's balance of payments would swing into a deep deficit and likely drive the Canadian dollar downward. Alberta separatism, then, is not hollow and artificial. For Canadians to think so would be dangerous. Robert (Bob) Ascah Edmonton On April 1, 1949, I woke in St. John's to discover I was a Canadian. What a joke to pull, I thought, April Fool's Day, indeed. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth in St. John's on that day. The entire citizenry seemed to lower their blinds and wear black armbands, as did we in my family. People my age and older never really seemed to have gotten over it. To add salt to the wound, my maternal grandmother's first cousin was Sir Edward Patrick Morris, prime minister of Newfoundland from 1909 to 1917. There was also Iceland to look at, admire and wonder: What if? John Christopher Toronto Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
CBC
01-08-2025
- Politics
- CBC
3 Londoners on what they think of Canada's plans to recognize Palestinian state
Londoners with ties to the middle east are reacting to Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement that Canada plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September under certain conditions, with many unsure whether those commitments can be met. At a news conference Wednesday, the prime minister said the Palestinian Authority must hold an election in 2026, demilitarize the Palestinian state and fundamentally reform its governance in order for Canada to go forward in its recognition. The announcement follows similar commitments made by leaders in France and the U.K. in the last week. Carney announces Canada will recognize Palestinian state in September 2 days ago At a news conference Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, but the West Bank's governing body must agree to certain conditions including committing to holding an election in 2026. Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state in September Those in London have mixed feelings about the news, and some say they think Carney's conditions could be a roadblock to meaningful change. Here is what some Londoners are saying: Haneen AbdAlnabi, Gazan writer It's been nearly two years since Haneen AbdAlnabi came to Canada from Gaza, and she says she still worries daily about the family she left behind. She said Wednesday's announcement is a positive "first step" in Canada's commitment to helping Palestinians. "It's the biggest step to recognize Palestine because we've been waiting for this for a long time," AbdAlnabi said. "We've waited for the whole world to recognize us as Palestinians, and recognize that we have a country." "I was deeply moved by that, but I don't just want recognition. I want more," she said, adding that she wants Canada to send more aid and help families get out of Gaza. As for Carney's stipulations, AbdAlnabi said she is unsure whether they will be met by September, in part because she does not think there should be any conditions at all. "There's a lot of conditions and I'm not sure if people would agree to these because I think Palestinians just want peace. The only thing they want is to live in their own country," she said. "It's hard for us to feel that there's conditions for this." "Now people are feeling, 'Let me live in peace. Don't put any conditions on it, just recognize that I am the owner of the land.'" Dean Lavi, executive director of Jewish London The executive director of Jewish London said he thinks there is a "zero per cent" chance that the Palestinian Authority will meet the prime minister's conditions by September, specifically with regard to a 2026 election. "People [in the Jewish community] are feeling that there is a misguided belief that someone who has been in power for 21 years is going to have an election," said Dean Lavi. The Palestinian Authority currently controls parts of the West Bank through the Fatah party, while Hamas governs in Gaza. Neither territory has held an election since 2006. Carney said Hamas cannot play any part in the election he is proposing. Still, Lavi said the announcement has "emboldened" the group. "The reality is that this is a prize for terror," Lavi said. "Hamas is only hard in their position in light of perceived and real support by [French president Emmanuel] Macron and by Carney's administration." Wednesday's announcement also led Lavi to reflect on how Canada has responded to the ongoing conflict over the past two years, as opposed to now. "If the Canadian government acted on the same political will, action and motivation, then we wouldn't be here today," he said. Darlene Zaifman-Guslits, co-chair of London Friends of Standing Together For the local chapter of a group that is meant to bring London's Jewish and Palestinian communities together, the prime minister's public support of a Palestinian state is long overdue. "It is something that needed to be done decades ago and it's the only way that we can move forward with trying to create longstanding peace in the region," said Darlene Zaifman-Guslits, who is the co-chair of London Friends of Standing Together. She said not only could it be challenging for the conditions to be met, but both Palestine and Israel will need to commit to their promises long-term. "Along with statehood will come responsibility. Not only does Israel have to step up and start doing things differently, but so do the Palestinians," Zaifman-Guslits said. "Once they have their own state and they have diplomatic ties with the rest of the world, they're going to have to take responsibility for their actions and they can't continue doing the types of actions that led to October 7th." Zaifman-Guslits said she hopes the recognition of a Palestinian state will help people both on the ground in Gaza, and among Palestinian and Jewish communities in London. "I really do think it's going to be a game changer. I think it will empower the Palestinian people to realize that they are being recognized, that that their plight is being recognized and that the world does see that things are not equitable," she said.
CBC
31-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Couldn't have asked for anything more': Winnipegger on Canada's intent to recognize Palestinian statehood
Social Sharing When he first read about Canada's intention to recognize an independent Palestinian state, Ramsey Zeid's brain was hesitant to accept the news. "I had to read it three times before I kind of realized that it was actually something that was happening," said Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba. It's something he and other Palestinians have been seeking for years, and it was almost as if Prime Minister Mark Carney's declaration was too good to be believed, he said. "This is amazing news. I couldn't have asked for anything more." Carney on Wednesday said Canada will acknowledge a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, but only if the West Bank's governing body, the Palestinian Authority, commits to governance reforms. Among those, the Palestinian Authority must hold an election in 2026 and demilitarize the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian Authority has limited control of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and the militant group Hamas has run the Gaza Strip. Canada's conditions include that Hamas immediately release all hostages taken in the October 2023 attack on Israel, disarm and have no role in the future governance of Palestine, Carney said. The announcement follows similar commitments from other allied countries, but critics like Belle Jarniewski say it rewards Hamas and terrorism. "I think that Israelis and Jews in the diaspora are feeling very much abandoned by countries who seem to be accepting a situation that is absolutely unacceptable," said Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, located in Winnipeg. "Everything that I've heard from everyone that I know, the response has been tremendous disappointment." Iddo Moed, the Israeli ambassador to Canada, condemned Carney's announcement in a statement on Wednesday. "Let us be clear: Israel will not bow to the distorted campaign of international pressure against it. We will not sacrifice our very existence by permitting the imposition of a jihadist state on our ancestral homeland that seeks our annihilation," Moed's statement said. The National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a statement that the Palestinian right to exist "both as a state and as a people" is inalienable and not subject to conditions. "For nearly two years, the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza and beyond has been livestreamed — catastrophic man-made starvation, unrelenting atrocities and children killed while trying to access life-saving aid," the statement said. "Canada can and must do more," it said, calling on the government to impose additional sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, implement a full arms embargo, review the countries' free trade deal and support reunification of Gazans and their loved ones. The UN World Food Program has said a third of Gaza's population was not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. International aid groups were blocked by the Israeli government from delivering food in Gaza for 2½ months. A U.S.-Israel aid delivery system has been called insufficient and dangerous by other aid organizations. "The deepening suffering of civilians leaves no room for delay in co-ordinated international action to support peace, security and the dignity of all human life," Carney said in his announcement. Manitoba Friends Standing Together held a silent vigil for children who have died because of the war in front of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights Thursday. The group holds the vigil every two weeks. "We're a little bit more hopeful," said co-founder Emet Eviatar. "This isn't going to stop the children starving in Gaza … but I will take it." Eviatar was born and raised in Israel, but she said she doesn't agree with the country's actions. She said she would like to see Canada put more pressure on Israel to stop the killing. "I would like to see maybe conditions that have to do with stopping the starvation and other things that are happening in Gaza and also in the West Bank," she said. "But yeah, we're grateful that they're doing something rather than nothing." Jarniewski said for Carney to recognize statehood before the reforms must happen in 2026, "is a huge mistake," calling the announcement "very pre-mature and ill-advised." 'Raise that flag high' To Zeid, it confirms that Palestinians have their own country. "It legitimizes what we've been working for, what we've been fighting for, for years." On a more local level, it means emotional fulfilment, he said. "We've been trying for years to have the Palestinian flag raised at city hall, at the legislative building, on different occasions, and we've always got turned down," Zeid said. "The reason was, we can't raise the Palestinian flag because it's not recognized by the federal government. Now we're going to raise that flag high." A City of Winnipeg spokesperson said the city will continue to follow its flag policy. "The City of Winnipeg will fly the national flags of nations who have diplomatic relations with Canada, as recognized by the government of Canada, on a recognized national day," the spokesperson said. "The mayor's office reserves the right to determine whether or not to fly the flag of a recognized nation when there is political unrest or conflict in that country." The spokesperson said the decision to fly any given country's flag doesn't express support for the politics of that country.
