Israel害羞草研究所檚 envoy to Canada is joining calls for the federal Liberals to clearly state Ottawa害羞草研究所檚 position as the International Court of Justice considers an allegation that his country is committinggenocide against Palestinians.
害羞草研究所淚srael urges Canada to leave no room for misinterpretation on a matter that is crystal clear,害羞草研究所� Ambassador Iddo Moed said in a Thursday news release.
And as the Israeli government rejects the idea of a two-state solution to the protracted conflict, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists he won害羞草研究所檛 be deterred from calling for one.
The highest court of the United Nations held two days of public hearings last week as South Africa argued that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
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Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in a series of attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded with tremendous force in Gaza, insisting its attacks are intended to take out Hamas and its supporters, not civilians.
It also cut off supply deliveries and electricity, leading to a humanitarian crisis and desperate pleas for food, medicine and water. Limited humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza over the last 100 days.
The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 24,000 people in the territory have been killed in the conflict. It does not differentiate between civilians and Hamas fighters.
More than 100 Israeli hostages were released during a temporary ceasefire in November, but Israel has said it believes more than 100 remain captive in Gaza and at least two dozen have died while being held hostage.
South Africa said while it condemns Hamas for its brutal attack, there is no justification for the scale of Israel害羞草研究所檚 response in Gaza.
It has asked the court to order Israel to cease its assault on the Palestinian territory, saying that statements by senior Israeli officials suggest a policy of collective punishment and annihilating Palestinians.
Israel rejected the genocide claim outright and argued in the court that South Africa害羞草研究所檚 claim was 害羞草研究所渄istorted害羞草研究所� and that it has the right to defend itself against Hamas. Israel害羞草研究所檚 lawyers argue that heated statements by government officials do not reflect state policy.
Moed noted that many of Canada害羞草研究所檚 allies and peers have stated a clear position on the case, which he argued will have implications for the rules-based international order.
Yet Trudeau has not said whether Canada agrees with or rejects South Africa害羞草研究所檚 stance, or even if Ottawa would recognize the court害羞草研究所檚 ruling if it does find Israel to be guilty of genocide.
Last Friday, when asked about Canada害羞草研究所檚 position at a news conference, Trudeau said that Canada supports the court, but that does not mean it supports the 害羞草研究所減remise害羞草研究所� of South Africa害羞草研究所檚 case.
In a statement published later that same day, Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly repeated the same statement, but also said the case for genocide requires compelling legal evidence and that the bar to prove genocide is quite high.
On Wednesday, Trudeau insisted that his position was clear, but many organizations said the comments were confusing.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not going to comment on what could be an eventual finding by a process that we support as it unfolds,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.
Canada did not issue a statement on the case until both South Africa and Israel had made their arguments before the court, by which point many of Canada害羞草研究所檚 peers had already released statements on whether they害羞草研究所檇 respect the court害羞草研究所檚 eventual findings and how they feel about the case.
University of the Fraser Valley criminology professor Mark Kersten has said the government is using 害羞草研究所渨affling language害羞草研究所� to avoid taking a stance on a case that could further divide the Liberal caucus and the Canadian electorate.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has started a letter-writing campaign, urging the Liberals to ditch the 害羞草研究所渃onfusing and ambiguous language害羞草研究所� around the case and to oppose South Africa害羞草研究所檚 case.
South Africa says more than 50 countries support its case, including all 22 members of the Arab League. Most Western countries that traditionally support Israel have either stayed neutral or rejected the case outright, a point Moed highlighted on Thursday.
Trudeau and Joly害羞草研究所檚 offices did not provide a responsewhen asked to respond to Moed害羞草研究所檚 criticism and to spell out Canada害羞草研究所檚 stance.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters Thursday that 害羞草研究所渨hatever the court determines should be what Canada then respects.害羞草研究所� The Conservatives have deemed South Africa害羞草研究所檚 case to be baseless.
In a nationally televised news conference Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a defiant tone when responding to calls from the United States to take steps toward establishing a Palestinian state after the war.
He said in Hebrew that Israel 害羞草研究所渕ust have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River,害羞草研究所� adding that this 害羞草研究所渃ollides with the idea of sovereignty.害羞草研究所�
Netanyahu argued a Palestinian state would become a launching pad for attacks on Israel and the U.S., and he decried any American 害羞草研究所渁ttempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel.害羞草研究所�
Trudeau was unfazed by those comments, saying they reflect Netanyahu害羞草研究所檚 long-standing position and what he conveyed to Trudeau in a call last month.
害羞草研究所淭he only way forward for the region, indeed, the only way forward for a safe and secure Israel, is to have a Palestinian state that is also safe and secure with internationally recognized borders,害羞草研究所� Trudeau told reporters in Nunavut.
He said Canada害羞草研究所檚 engagement in the region is meant to work toward an eventual two-state solution. 害羞草研究所淩ight now, obviously, the level of conflict and tensions means it害羞草研究所檚 not for tomorrow.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所� With files from The Associated Press.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
