If I may, I will read the amendment and thus make it verbally. And you will all have a copy for your own benefit.
I move that the motion be amended by removing all the words after “given”, in line one, and substituting the following:
Given the strong bonds of friendship that unite Canada with Lebanon and given that it is committed to its security;
Given that of all Western countries Canada had the largest number of nationals in Lebanon at the outbreak of hostilities;
Given that Canada is a long-standing friend of Israel, that it actively supported its creation, and that it is also committed to its security;
The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs:
Congratulates the Government of Canada for the successful evacuation of over 13,000 Canadians from Lebanon;
Calls on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to conduct a review of the procedures utilized to carry out the evacuation so that the successful principles can be applied to planning for future similar emergency contingencies that may arise;
Offers its sincere condolences to the families of Canadians and all others who have died during the recent crisis in the Middle East;
Recognizes that Israel was attacked on its territory by Hezbollah unprovoked, and that Israel, as a sovereign democracy, has a right to defend itself;
Strongly condemns the launching of Hezbollah rockets into Israel;
Calls upon Israel to exercise the utmost restraint in its military actions and take all possible measures to protect civilian lives and infrastructure;
Calls on the Government of Canada to continue to support the Government of Lebanon and to support its efforts to peacefully disarm the militia;
Supports the G8 summit declaration, which emphasizes the importance of a ceasefire that is sustainable and emphasizes the importance of working towards a permanent solution.
That is the amendment, and I understand that is seconded by Mr. Casey.
If I may, I will continue by speaking to the motion.
I think what we have here is something that is shorn of some of the rhetoric, which I think is a little one-sided, and more accurately reflects Canada's traditional position. Canada has strongly supported the establishment of the new government in Lebanon and welcomed the departure of the Syrian troops that took place a couple of years ago, which helped to allow the sovereign government to begin to reassert its authority. We very much support the United Nations resolutions 1559 and, I believe, 1680, both of which call for the disarmament and disbanding of Hezbollah.
I remind everyone, in particular the members of the Liberal Party who, as a government, listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.... I believe all of us around this table, I hope all parties, support those United Nations Security Council resolutions that call for Hezbollah to be disarmed and disbanded. It's international law that I believe this government strongly supports. I believe all parties support that. I certainly hope that all parties around the table support it. Mr. McTeague may not support the disarming and disbanding of Hezbollah, but I believe most other Liberals do.