Communist Party of Canada – Parti Communiste du Canada

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.

After over three weeks of bloody conflict and the looming spectre of a genocide in Gaza, the Communist Party of Canada reaffirms its support for the Palestinian people and their right to resistance recognized under international law. We condemn Israel and its Zionist policy of violent colonization, occupation, and apartheid as the primary driver of this catastrophe that has claimed the lives of over 10,000 people, with 70% being women and children.