By Caribbean News Global 
TORONTO, Canada – On Tuesday, Canada voted for a UN resolution in support of Palestinians’ right to self-determination. This is a sudden shift in the direction of Canada’s policies on the Middle East, and a significant reversal that marks a major departure from 14 consecutive votes dating back to 2006.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group which has long lobbied for level- heads to prevail said: “We are extremely pleased that the Liberal government has voted in support of Palestinian self-determination at the UN,” said CJPME’s Miranda Gallo. “This is a long-overdue step and is entirely consistent with the government’s support for a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. In fact, Canada could not support a ‘two-state’ solution if it did not support the creation of a Palestinian state.”
“The Liberal government has changed its position as compared to previous years,” Gallo added: “This may be a slap on the wrist to the Trump government to communicate that, given Pompeo’s outlandish statement in support of illegal Israeli colonies, Canada feels the US is failing to provide fair leadership on the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Liberal government may have also concluded that it can no longer ape the lopsided positions asserted by Israel and the US on these resolutions, which have overwhelming support at the UN and overwhelming support among many Canadians.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) condemned the vote in a statement:
“This afternoon, Canada joined with the anti-Israel chorus at the UN and voted in favour of a general assembly resolution co-sponsored by North Korea, Zimbabwe, and the PLO that condemns Israel’s presence in Jerusalem and characterizes it as “Occupied Palestinian Territory”. Canadian support for the resolution represents a dramatic departure from a 10-year record of principled opposition to UN resolutions that single out Israel for condemnation and ignore Palestinian intransigence and provocations aimed at sabotaging efforts to advance peace and reconciliation.”
CIJA National Co-Chair Joel Reitman commented. “While Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland offered assurances that no other changes in vote were being contemplated, we are very disappointed that the government of Canada did not stand firm in opposition to the annual Israel-bashing ritual at the UN general assembly. That neither this resolution nor any other currently being considered even acknowledge the obscene barrage of Palestinian-launched rockets and missiles raining down on Israel’s civilian population reflects just how distorted and one-sided these resolutions are.”
CIJA National Co-Chair Jeffrey Rosenthal added “Canadian support for a resolution that references the Disputed Territories as “Occupied Palestinian Territories” represents a distressing departure not only from the Canadian voting record at the UN, but a betrayal of longstanding Canadian foreign policy that rejects prejudgment of the outcome of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestinian self-determination cannot come at the expense of Israel’s security. Indeed, UNSC resolution 242 makes Palestinian statehood conditional on Israel’s acceptance as a legitimate state in the region and its ability to survive and flourish free of threats – whether those threats are authored by Palestinians, Iranians, or their various proxies in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza.”
