Thank you, Mr. Chair.
There are so many things I want to mention.
To start with, I just want to say that I think, as the foreign affairs committee of the Government of Canada, the Parliament of Canada, that it is very important that we acknowledge what happened in Lebanon yesterday. It was the most deadly day for the Lebanese people since 2006. Over 1,000 people were injured. Many civilians, including multiple children, lost their lives yesterday. I have heard from Lebanese Canadians from coast to coast who are heartbroken, who are afraid and who are terrified for their loved ones and their family members, and I want to acknowledge that the fear is real.
I also agree with my colleagues. What happened on October 7 was horrific. I am a mother. My children are the same age as those children who went to a music festival. That's something that everyone should have the opportunity to do, and the terrorist attack that took place on October 7 is appalling. I have been very clear from the very beginning how horrific that was, how we grieve with all of those who lost a loved one and how we continue to grieve for those who are waiting for their loved ones to come home.
I have to tell you that, right now, what is being put forward is unsupportable. We listen to the government say that, when the time is right, we will recognize Palestine. I'm here to tell you the time is right. The time has been right for a very long time. We have seen, for the last 11 months, the deaths of children, the targeting of civilians, the breaking of international and humanitarian laws, the attacks on media and the attacks on humanitarian workers. It's unconscionable that there is a person in our Parliament who isn't saying, right now, that this is the time; this is the right time. What has happened over the last 11 months has not made it one iota safer for anyone in Palestine or in Israel. It's not one iota safer. It has made it more dangerous, more difficult and more of a struggle for all of the people living in the region.
Mr. Chong talked about the fact that we shouldn't acknowledge the state of Palestine because the G7 has not done that. I would like to point out that Canada used to have bravery. We used to have the bravery to stand aside from whatever position the United States was taking. I think about Brian Mulroney on South Africa. I think about other times when we were the architects of the international justice system, the International Criminal Court, and now, the government's not sure they're going to support them. Come on.
I'm going to support this motion as it was written by the Liberals, not because I think it is a great motion. I'm going to support it because I think people in this room need to hear from Palestinians, and I think there are people in this room who have never listened to the voices of Palestinians. I will support this motion, but be very clear that not a single one of these things requires a study. The minister could do this today. The minister could sanction Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Smotrich today. The minister could stop arms loopholes going through the United States today, and the minister could recognize the state of Palestine today.
We do not need a study. We do not need to be doing this work. This could happen today.
Thank you.