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Toronto (March 19, 2024) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is deeply disturbed by yesterday’s passage of a non-binding amended motion put forward by the NDP that undermines Canada’s longstanding Middle East foreign policy vis-à-vis Israel.

The one-sided NDP motion includes elements that compromise well-established Canadian foreign policy and are hostile to Israel, Canada’s only democratic ally in the Middle East.

"Surrendering control of Canadian foreign policy to the NDP, the fourth party in the House of Commons, is a shameful abdication of leadership," said FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt in an online post. "The government’s decision to amend and support the NDP opposition motion reeks of cynical domestic political calculus. Yet again and worst of all, they sold out Israel and the Jewish community for the sake of political expediency."

This motion draws a false and repugnant equivalence between Israel and the genocidal terrorist group Hamas and serves to further demonize the Jewish state and divide communities in Canada.

It does nothing to ease the humanitarian challenges facing both Israeli and Palestinian civilians in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, nor help advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The motion is all the more offensive coming while the tragedy and trauma of the Hamas atrocities in Israel on October 7 are still keenly felt by Jews in Canada and around the world.

FSWC commends all MPs in the Conservative Party - including Michael Chong and Melissa Lantsman, who delivered impactful speeches during yesterday's debate - Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather, Ben Carr and Marco Mendicino and Independent MP Kevin Vuong for their moral clarity in taking a strong stand and voting against the divisive, counterproductive motion.

FSWC thanks all community members who participated in CIJA’s campaign to call on MPs to oppose the ill-conceived motion.

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