Israel’s actions in Gaza have been
widely documented as violations of international law, including the Genocide
Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Charter, and the
Geneva Convention.
By Fareed Khan
By Fareed Khan
The following can also be found on Rabble.ca and Substack.
On July 30, 2025, Prime Minister Mark
Carney announced Canada’s intention to recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September
2025, a move framed as a step toward a two-state solution. While this gesture
may appear positive and progressive, it is profoundly hollow when viewed
against Canada’s continued diplomatic and material support for Israel, a state
credibly accused of committing genocide in Gaza.
With the Gaza death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians, and overwhelming evidence of Israel’s egregious violations
of international law, Canada’s symbolic recognition of Palestine is a futile
act unless accompanied by concrete measures to halt the slaughter and hold
Israeli leaders accountable for genocidal crimes. Canada’s contradictory
policies—extending trade benefits, military cooperation, and charitable status
to entities supporting Israel while refusing to sanction its leaders—render
this recognition a mere public relations exercise which, while welcomed by Palestinians,
will be devoid of meaningful impact.
Canada’s complicity in Israel’s violations of international law
Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 8, 2023, have been widely documented as violations of international law, including the 1948 Genocide Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the UN Charter, and the Geneva Conventions. The Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem, alongside statements from genocide and Holocaust scholars—many of whom are Israeli and Jewish—conclude that Israel’s actions meet this threshold. Amnesty International’s 2024 report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”, details Israel’s deliberate killings, infliction of bodily and mental harm, and creation of life-destroying conditions in Gaza, including starvation and mass displacement. Human Rights Watch’s 2024 report, “Extermination and Acts of Genocide”, highlights Israel’s intentional deprivation of water, a war crime and genocidal act. B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, labels Israel’s campaign as a “coordinated action to destroy Palestinian society,” citing mass killings and devastation of civilian infrastructure. These actions violate the UDHR’s guarantees of the right to life and security (Article 3) and freedom from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment (Article 5).
Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and blockade of Gaza contravene the Geneva Conventions’ protections for civilians and prohibitions on collective punishment. The UN Charter’s Article 2(4), which prohibits the use of force against territorial integrity, has been flouted by Israel’s occupation and settlement expansion for decades, and has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024. The UN Special Committee’s 2024 report further notes Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon, a clear breach of international humanitarian law.
The scale of the devastation is staggering. EuroMed Human Rights Monitor estimates over 70,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, with thousands more missing, presumed dead under rubble. A study by Israeli academic Yaakov Garb, published by Harvard, uses data from the Israeli military to underscore the crisis of more than 377,000 missing and dead Palestinians, with entire families erased and bodies unrecovered due to Israel’s relentless bombardment. These figures and findings are not isolated, they are corroborated by UN experts, who warned in 2023 of a “genocide in the making” due to Israel’s indiscriminate attacks and blockade.
Canada’s contradictory stance
Canada’s announcement of Palestinian statehood recognition is conditional on a disarmed Gaza and negotiations ensuring Israel’s security, aligning with its long-standing support for Israel. This framing undermines the gesture’s significance, as it implicitly endorses Israel’s narrative while ignoring the asymmetry of power and the ongoing atrocities. Canada’s continued support for Israel—through military trade, economic benefits, and tacit acceptance of Canadian citizens’ participation in the Israeli military—renders this recognition a public relations stunt that will do little to stop Israeli atrocities or give Palestinians the freedom they seek.
Canadian complicity in Israel’s genocide occurs on many levels. First, Canada permits the export of Canadian-made military equipment to Israel, despite evidence it is used in Gaza. Second, Canada purchases military equipment from Israel, bolstering its defence industry, which profits from the occupation. Third, the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement provides economic benefits to Israel, and continues to remain in force despite Israel’s violations of international law. Fourth, Canadians have travelled to Israel to serve in its military as it was committing genocide, in violation of Canadians law, with no government action to deter participation in a force accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Fifth, Jewish charitable organizations in Canada, such as those funding West Bank settlements, have continued to retain tax-exempt status while funnelling money in support of illegal activities. Finally, Canada has refused to sanction Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his cabinet or his military leaders, despite International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants.
These policies contradict Canada’s obligations under the Genocide Convention, which mandates states to prevent and punish genocide. By maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, Canada is clearly complicit in Israeli crimes, as noted by UN experts and human rights groups. The ICJ’s 2024 ruling, which found a “plausible” case of genocide, urged states to take immediate action, yet Canada has failed to heed that ruling.
The futility of symbolic recognition
Recognizing Palestine without addressing Israel’s ongoing genocide is akin to offering a bandage for a mortal wound. The announcement’s conditions perpetuate a narrative that equates the occupier with the occupied, ignoring the root cause, namely Israel’s 58 year illegal occupation and apartheid system, as affirmed by the ICJ and B’Tselem. Without a path to accountability, including prosecution of Israeli political and military leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, recognition of a Palestinian state is a hollow gesture.
The ICC’s warrants against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant underscore the need for justice, yet Canada’s inaction signals tacit approval of impunity. The voices of Israeli and Jewish scholars are particularly damning. B’Tselem’s “Our Genocide” report, authored by Israelis, details a deliberate policy of annihilation, while Physicians for Human Rights-Israel documents the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system. Israeli Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov, is one among many Israeli and Jewish academics who have labelled Israel’s actions genocidal, drawing parallels to historical atrocities. These voices shatter the narrative that criticism of Israel is antisemitic, exposing the moral urgency of action.
Canada’s failure to suspend arms transfers, impose sanctions, or review trade agreements undermines its stated commitment to a two-state solution. The blockade of Gaza, ongoing since 2007, and the destruction of 80% of its infrastructure make Palestinian statehood a distant prospect without immediate intervention. As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has argued, Israel’s actions aim to “erase Palestinians as a people,” a process Canada enables through inaction. Prime Minister Carney must understand that the recognition of a Palestinian state, while positive, will do little to stop Israel’s genocidal acts, or give the Palestinian people the tools to achieve freedom from the bondage of Israel’s decades long occupation.
A call for meaningful action
For Canada’s recognition of Palestine to have substance, it must be paired with policies that address the genocide unfolding in Gaza. As such, Canada should:
Canada’s complicity in Israel’s violations of international law
Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 8, 2023, have been widely documented as violations of international law, including the 1948 Genocide Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the UN Charter, and the Geneva Conventions. The Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem, alongside statements from genocide and Holocaust scholars—many of whom are Israeli and Jewish—conclude that Israel’s actions meet this threshold. Amnesty International’s 2024 report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”, details Israel’s deliberate killings, infliction of bodily and mental harm, and creation of life-destroying conditions in Gaza, including starvation and mass displacement. Human Rights Watch’s 2024 report, “Extermination and Acts of Genocide”, highlights Israel’s intentional deprivation of water, a war crime and genocidal act. B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, labels Israel’s campaign as a “coordinated action to destroy Palestinian society,” citing mass killings and devastation of civilian infrastructure. These actions violate the UDHR’s guarantees of the right to life and security (Article 3) and freedom from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment (Article 5).
Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and blockade of Gaza contravene the Geneva Conventions’ protections for civilians and prohibitions on collective punishment. The UN Charter’s Article 2(4), which prohibits the use of force against territorial integrity, has been flouted by Israel’s occupation and settlement expansion for decades, and has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024. The UN Special Committee’s 2024 report further notes Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon, a clear breach of international humanitarian law.
The scale of the devastation is staggering. EuroMed Human Rights Monitor estimates over 70,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, with thousands more missing, presumed dead under rubble. A study by Israeli academic Yaakov Garb, published by Harvard, uses data from the Israeli military to underscore the crisis of more than 377,000 missing and dead Palestinians, with entire families erased and bodies unrecovered due to Israel’s relentless bombardment. These figures and findings are not isolated, they are corroborated by UN experts, who warned in 2023 of a “genocide in the making” due to Israel’s indiscriminate attacks and blockade.
Canada’s contradictory stance
Canada’s announcement of Palestinian statehood recognition is conditional on a disarmed Gaza and negotiations ensuring Israel’s security, aligning with its long-standing support for Israel. This framing undermines the gesture’s significance, as it implicitly endorses Israel’s narrative while ignoring the asymmetry of power and the ongoing atrocities. Canada’s continued support for Israel—through military trade, economic benefits, and tacit acceptance of Canadian citizens’ participation in the Israeli military—renders this recognition a public relations stunt that will do little to stop Israeli atrocities or give Palestinians the freedom they seek.
Canadian complicity in Israel’s genocide occurs on many levels. First, Canada permits the export of Canadian-made military equipment to Israel, despite evidence it is used in Gaza. Second, Canada purchases military equipment from Israel, bolstering its defence industry, which profits from the occupation. Third, the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement provides economic benefits to Israel, and continues to remain in force despite Israel’s violations of international law. Fourth, Canadians have travelled to Israel to serve in its military as it was committing genocide, in violation of Canadians law, with no government action to deter participation in a force accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Fifth, Jewish charitable organizations in Canada, such as those funding West Bank settlements, have continued to retain tax-exempt status while funnelling money in support of illegal activities. Finally, Canada has refused to sanction Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his cabinet or his military leaders, despite International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants.
These policies contradict Canada’s obligations under the Genocide Convention, which mandates states to prevent and punish genocide. By maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, Canada is clearly complicit in Israeli crimes, as noted by UN experts and human rights groups. The ICJ’s 2024 ruling, which found a “plausible” case of genocide, urged states to take immediate action, yet Canada has failed to heed that ruling.
The futility of symbolic recognition
Recognizing Palestine without addressing Israel’s ongoing genocide is akin to offering a bandage for a mortal wound. The announcement’s conditions perpetuate a narrative that equates the occupier with the occupied, ignoring the root cause, namely Israel’s 58 year illegal occupation and apartheid system, as affirmed by the ICJ and B’Tselem. Without a path to accountability, including prosecution of Israeli political and military leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, recognition of a Palestinian state is a hollow gesture.
The ICC’s warrants against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant underscore the need for justice, yet Canada’s inaction signals tacit approval of impunity. The voices of Israeli and Jewish scholars are particularly damning. B’Tselem’s “Our Genocide” report, authored by Israelis, details a deliberate policy of annihilation, while Physicians for Human Rights-Israel documents the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system. Israeli Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov, is one among many Israeli and Jewish academics who have labelled Israel’s actions genocidal, drawing parallels to historical atrocities. These voices shatter the narrative that criticism of Israel is antisemitic, exposing the moral urgency of action.
Canada’s failure to suspend arms transfers, impose sanctions, or review trade agreements undermines its stated commitment to a two-state solution. The blockade of Gaza, ongoing since 2007, and the destruction of 80% of its infrastructure make Palestinian statehood a distant prospect without immediate intervention. As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has argued, Israel’s actions aim to “erase Palestinians as a people,” a process Canada enables through inaction. Prime Minister Carney must understand that the recognition of a Palestinian state, while positive, will do little to stop Israel’s genocidal acts, or give the Palestinian people the tools to achieve freedom from the bondage of Israel’s decades long occupation.
A call for meaningful action
For Canada’s recognition of Palestine to have substance, it must be paired with policies that address the genocide unfolding in Gaza. As such, Canada should:
- Halt Military Trade: Suspend all arms exports to and imports from Israel, as recommended by Human Rights Watch, to avoid complicity in war crimes.
- Impose Sanctions: Target Netanyahu, his cabinet, his military leaders, and corporations profiting from the occupation, aligning with ICC efforts.
- Review Trade Agreements: Suspend the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, as Spain and Ireland have proposed for the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
- Prohibit IDF Service: Enforce Canadian law by criminally charging Canadians who have joined the Israeli military, given its history documented atrocities against Palestinians.
- Revoke Charitable Status: End tax exemptions for Canadian organizations funding illegal Jewish settlements, as they violate international law, the Geneva Conventions, UN Security Council resolutions, and rulings of the ICJ.
- Support Accountability: Back ICC and ICJ efforts to prosecute war crimes and enforce Israel’s compliance with international law.
Without these steps, Canada’s
recognition of Palestine is a performative act of public relations,
overshadowed by its complicity in Israel’s violations. The blood of over 70,000
Palestinians, the missing and dead documented by Garb, and the cries of
survivors demand more than symbolism. As B’Tselem’s Yuli Novak stated, “This
crime must be stopped immediately.” It’s time for Canada to choose: remain
complicit in the Gaza genocide or act to uphold justice and humanity.
© 2025 The View From Here. © 2025 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
It is a very delicate balancing act: implementing the above actions is morally proper.. but nothing is morally proper to Trump, a larger supporter of Israel and our current nemisis and a potential source of recrimination to us.
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