The overwhelming vote on December 13 by the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a non-binding resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is an important victory for the growing international campaign to condemn Israel’s war against the Palestinian people. The final vote was 153 in favour, 23 abstentions, and only 10 opposed (the US, Israel, Austria, the Czech Republic, and a handful of tiny US client states). By comparison, the Arab-sponsored resolution on Oct. 27 for a “humanitarian truce” saw 121 countries voting in favour, 14 against, and 44 abstaining. This time, two months of massive street protests against the criminal Israeli war in Gaza forced PM Justin Trudeau’s Liberals to change their position; Canada, which has always backed Israel in previous General Assembly votes, joined the rest of the world in calling for a ceasefire. Overall, these votes indicate a deeper fracturing of the so-called “western consensus” and the growing diplomatic and political isolation of the US and Israel.
The Communist Party of Canada joins with others in demanding that the ceasefire take immediate effect. Almost 20,000 people have already died under Israeli bullets, missiles and bombs, the majority of them women and children. This brutal slaughter must stop now! We demand a permanent ceasefire, a complete halt to weapons shipments to Israel, an end to the genocidal siege of Gaza, and support for the global BDS campaign against Israeli apartheid. We call for Canadian material support for the massive project of rebuilding the housing, infrastructure, schools and medical facilities destroyed by Israel in Gaza.
Our party welcomes the expanding movement of Palestine solidarity across Canada. A growing number of trade unions, students, faith groups and other community organizations are openly rejecting the attempt to silence and criminalize voices critical of the war in Gaza and Israel’s apartheid policies. We call for this movement to become as broadly united as possible, focused on the urgent immediate demands for a ceasefire and for solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada