UN vote for Gaza ceasefire disappoints Israel’s ambassador, divides Liberal caucus

OTTAWA — Israel has been singled out by Canada’s decision to back a UN call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the country’s ambassador in Ottawa said Wednesday, as several Liberal MPs publicly lamented the resolution’s failure to condemn Hamas. 

Israeli ambassador Iddo Moed called it “very disappointing” to see Canada break with long-standing practice Tuesday and vote in favour of a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in the latest Israel-Gaza conflict.

“Knowing all the facts, still Canada took a decision to stand together with those who basically point the finger at Israel, as a culprit of the situation that is happening at the moment,” Moed said in an interview.

“In this fight, we need the international community to stand with us. And unfortunately, we see that the international community does exactly the opposite. 

“It singles Israel out in the United Nations.”

The non-binding resolution called for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The vote signalled a dramatic shift in Canada’s long-standing position of siding with Israel on major resolutions.

The latest war between Israel and Hamas began after the armed group’s militants launched a surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians, and taking about 240 people hostage.

Israel retaliated with airstrikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and by cutting off its access to many essential supplies. Local authorities say more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood by the decision to back the resolution, and said both sides have a responsibility to work toward a sustainable peace.

“We’re going to keep participating in urgent, international efforts toward a sustainable ceasefire, but it cannot be one-sided. We need to see Hamas lay down its arms,” Trudeau said.

Supporting a humanitarian ceasefire was necessary due to the “continuous” suffering of Palestinian civilians who have “diminishing” areas of safety in Gaza, UN ambassador Bob Rae told the General Assembly after casting Canada’s vote. 

After his remarks, a microphone appeared to pick up Rae’s voice saying, “See how that flies.” Rae was unavailable for an interview on Wednesday.

Moed saidRae’s comments left out important context regarding the role of Hamas in suppressing Palestinians, diverting essential supplies toward its operations and using civilians as human shields.

“To pin everything now on Israel is very lamentable. And this plays very much into the hands of those who don’t want Israel to exist,” he said.

Critics of the vote noted that the Liberals did not mention Israel when listing the countries it consulted ahead of the UN vote, but Moed said his country was in fact part of those talks. 

Still, he added: “I’m not sure that these consultations are getting the right weight.”

Israel is trying to respect international law and limit casualties, Moed stressed. Hamas is ultimately responsible for the many Palestinians killed in the war, he added.

“We can mention the fact that Hamas exaggerates the numbers … but it doesn’t take away the fact that many people die,” Moed said. 

“A lot of people — innocent people, babies, families — we know that. We are aware of that. We try to avoid that. But Hamas is responsible for that.”

Trudeau’s Liberal caucus was divided on the UN vote.

“I think when you take a principled position, it may not satisfy anyone,” government House leader Karina Gould said as Liberal MPs met one more time Wednesday before heading back to their ridings for the winter break.

“There are very strong emotions on both sides of this conflict, and understandably,” she said. “There have been horrific tragedies both in Israel and in Gaza.”

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said he was “very disappointed” in Canada’s decision.

“I don’t believe the majority of my constituents support an unconditional call for a ceasefire,” said Housefather, who represents the Montreal riding of Mount Royal. 

“It’s my obligation as an individually elected MP to speak out when I think that Canada has abandoned its traditional position at the UN in support of Israel, at a time when Israel is at war.”

The resolution was also inconsistent with a joint statement that Trudeau and his counterparts in Australia and New Zealand issued earlier Tuesday, Housefather added.

That statement said Canada continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself, and condemned Hamas for its atrocities. 

Many Liberals were insisting Wednesday that the statement was the most robust explanation of Canada’s position and should be considered alongside the vote. 

“I think in this debate, we lose a lot of nuance. And it’s important that multiple things can be true at the same time,” said MP Chris Bittle.

While the UN resolution did not specifically name Hamas, Canada supported a U.S. amendment that would have done so. It did not get the two-thirds support it would have needed to pass.

Housing Minister Sean Fraser said “it would have been preferred” for that language to be in the main resolution. But the UN is “never going to have the perfect draft that Canada would have drafted,” he said. 

“I wish that the world at the UN had supported that amendment,” added Liberal MP Julie Dabrusin. “But we can also say that we want the world to move towards a peace in that region. I think that we can say both.”

Liberal MP Ben Carr said the resolution should have also laid out conditions for a ceasefire, saying it “fell short.”

Asked about the divisions within his caucus, Carr said: “I’m a Liberal, and it’s OK for me to at times question or disagree or ponder the positions on certain issues that my party has taken.” 

Addressing MPs and staff at a holiday gathering Tuesday, Trudeau acknowledged “hard but necessary conversations” happening within the party, which he framed as a byproduct of its diversity. 

Earlier Tuesday, Liberal MP Salma Zahid — who had helped organize an open letter signed by more than 20 other government MPs calling on Canada to press for a ceasefire — welcomed the vote. 

In a statement, she thanked fellow MPs who “raised their voices for peace,” as well as thousands who took to the streets in “peaceful protest” to push for a ceasefire. 

The UN vote is about “protecting innocent civilians,” Zahid said. 

The federal Conservatives called for Hamas to surrender unconditionally to Israel and release all hostages, but did not directly address the UN vote when asked for comment on Tuesday. 

The NDP’s foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson, lauded the move and said it was “about time.” 

On Wednesday, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said in French, “I salute without reservation the wisdom of the Canadian government, who joins a vast international movement.”

Despite his criticism, Moed said the Canada-Israel relationship is generally healthy, pointing to Trudeau’s lengthy call Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as proof. 

“This is the most important point that we should see in front of us. These are open, long, frank discussions about a lot of issues,” he said.

That’s despite months of tensions that preceded the Hamas attacks. 

The Liberal government publicly raised concerns about a judicial reform proposed by Netanyahu that sought to limit the power of judges, and a statement by a right-wing cabinet minister in its coalition government that a Palestinian village in the West Bank should be “erased” after violent clashes. 

In July, Trudeau said extending an invitation for Netanyahu to visit Canada was “not on the table right now.”

U.S. President Joe Biden has used stronger language than Trudeau, saying Netanyahu’s cabinet partners “don’t want anything remotely approaching a two-state solution” and are starting to lose international support because of “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza. 

But the U.S., which voted against the resolution, nonetheless continues to oppose an immediate ceasefire.

The resolution contained neither condemnation of Hamas nor support for Israel’s right to defend itself, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the White House press briefing.

“So of course, we weren’t going to sign up for that.”

Moed said Israel is hoping Canada continues to support its efforts to root out Hamas, but he confirmed the Israeli government has no clear definition of what victory in this conflict will look like. 

“We are still in the middle of a war. We don’t know yet which way it’s going to go.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2023.

— With files from James McCarten in Washington and Mickey Djuric, Stephanie Taylorand Mia Rabson in Ottawa.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously reported that government House leader Karina Gould said emotions are strong on both sides of this “problem.”