On March 18, Parliament will finally be voting on an important motion in support of Palestine. This the first opportunity since Oct. 7 that MPs will be asked to vote individually on questions related to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, so this is extremely significant.
The motion, introduced by the NDP, includes important proposals on how to respond to Israel’s current genocidal war on Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has ensued. These include an immediate ceasefire, an arms embargo, the resumption of aid funding for UNRWA, and more – items that CJPME and others have advocated for months. Please join CJPME in demanding that all MPs vote in support of the NDP motion on March 18.
Use the fields below to send an email to your local MP and the political party leaders and demand that they vote YES in support of the NDP motion for Palestine. Parliament must stand up for an end to the bloodshed. Make sure that your MP is counted
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On March 18, after more than 150 days of Israel’s genocidal war, the New Democratic Party (NDP) is bringing forward an Opposition Day motion to Parliament calling on Canada to take concrete measures in support of Palestinian human rights. The motion, which will be debated and voted on by all Members of Parliament (MPs), brings forward important policy recommendations that reflect a broad consensus of civil society, human rights, and humanitarian organizations in Canada.
While CJPME believes that the motion could have been stronger in certain demands, such as the illegal settlements, we welcome the opportunity for MPs to vote on key demands about holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law and war crimes against Palestinians. MPs must hold the government accountable and ensure that Canada is not further complicit in the worsening genocide in Gaza. It is outrageous that after 150 days, this will be the first opportunity for MPs to vote on how Canada should respond.
The motion makes several key demands that align with international humanitarian law and respect Palestinian human rights. Many of the policy planks reflect CJPME’s demands in response to the genocide in Gaza. These include:
- Demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza;
- Suspend all trade in military arms and technology with Israel;
- Reinstate funding to the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
- Support the prosecution of all crimes and violations of international law, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court;
- Ensure that Canadians trapped in Gaza are safely evacuated and lift the arbitrary limit of 1000 applicants under the temporary resident visa applications;
- Demand the supply of continuous humanitarian aid to Gaza;
- Ban extremist settlers from Canada, and impose sanctions on Israeli officials who incite genocide;
- Advocate for an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories;
- Officially recognize the State of Palestine
Local MPs must listen to their constituents and vote in support of this urgent motion. Canada must demand a permanent ceasefire, stop all arms trades with Israel and reinstate funding to UNRWA to help alleviate the catastrophic suffering in Gaza.