Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 7th, 2024

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I might have misunderstood you, sir. Please go ahead.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

I was referring to Palestinian refugees following the partition of Palestine, not Palestinians having been displaced as part of the current conflict.

I apologize if I misunderstood you.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Then do you not recognize that Palestinians who are refugees should be permitted to return to Palestine at some point?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

No, that's not what I said. What I'm saying is, again—

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'm not trying to put words into your mouth. I'm just trying to clarify.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

If we're talking about Palestinians who were displaced out of Gaza through the current conflict, absolutely, they should be able to return home, and that's a clear position that has been publicly stated by the government several times.

If we're talking about the return of Palestinian refugees who have been displaced for generations, that is precisely and by definition one of the final status issues that is to be negotiated, even under the Oslo accords, directly between Palestinians and Israelis.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Just to clarify, one other—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Your time is up, Madam McPherson.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I always am.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

We now go to the second round.

Mr. Epp, you're up for three minutes.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Again, thank you for coming before the committee.

It was on a just and lasting peace that I began my questioning at the last session, and I appreciated your articulation of that and Canada's long-standing position and support for the two-state solution.

That just and lasting peace must provide dignity and security for all. Would you agree with the statement that for that just and lasting peace to be durable, it must enjoy popular support, both within the State of Israel and within the Palestinian people?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

I would say that citizens who live in Israel and Palestine must find themselves in whatever final accord would be negotiated in order to be inspired by it and to trust that it is a just and lasting peace.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you.

You articulated, in your opening statement, Canada's position, going back to the 1940s and the creation of the State of Israel, and where Canada positioned itself throughout. I'm encouraged, actually, by the fact that this issue is very alive in all of our closest allies' capitals. I would assume that the decision on the timing of the recognition of the state is done—and you basically said that—in conjunction with our allies.

Over time, has Canada's consideration of its weight—not directly within the State of Israel, but the political considerations—also taken into account the relationship with our closest allies?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

I would say that yes, that would be one of many considerations.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Again, it has been asked that Canada step out in front of our closest allies, when I would make the claim that Canada's position and weight in the Middle East has diminished over time, even since the 1940s, for a whole host of other reasons. Would that increase the likelihood that our allies would see us in a positive vein in our stepping out and forward, or should more caution be exercised by our government, even though there's unanimity that the State of Palestine should be recognized at some point when it leads always to that lasting and durable peace?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

What I would say is that there's an important line between acting in concert with like-minded allies and abdicating the sovereignty of our foreign policy.

Committing to something only if it is done with others would be a bit of an abdication of the independence that we can exercise. As one of the members said, we have an independent foreign policy and we can choose to act according to our own values and objectives.

Having said this, I will reiterate that yes, one of the important considerations is whether this.... Whenever and if the government chooses to go that route, an important consideration would be to assess what others are doing and to consider the weight of going at it alone versus going at it with a larger group of countries.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

We next go to Ms. Zahid. You have three minutes.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses.

My first question is from a legal and international law perspective.

Is there anything stopping the Government of Canada today from announcing a recognition of the Palestinian state, should it choose to?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

Our legal representative was here a few minutes ago. I don't know if that question was posed to him. If it was, the answer would be.... I don't believe that from a legal point of view there are restrictions on this.

As I think has been mentioned, the recognition of a state is a political decision and one that can be triggered via the usual political decision-making processes in our political system and then communicated outwardly using.... I think the expression that was used before was a letter and a microphone.

From a legal point of view, I don't believe there are any limitations, no.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Does the Government of Canada agree that no one country should be allowed a veto on the recognition of any other state, whether by Canada or by any other country?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

I would agree with the sentiment of that statement, but put the emphasis on the fact that as a government, we have control only over the decisions that we can make and the pronouncements that we can make. In the case of recognition, that's why it really comes down to that political decision and how we pronounce ourselves.

In other words, we cannot influence or force other countries to decide what to do with their own sovereign decisions.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Professors Mark Kersten and Ardi Imseis told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development that the right to self-determination is a fundamental and inalienable right that cannot be made conditional on anything—that is, the right cannot be held conditional on Palestinian governance reforms or a successful negotiation with Israel.

Does the Government of Canada agree that the right to self-determination cannot be made conditional?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

It is indeed the Government of Canada's position that Palestinians have the right to self-determination.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

The Government of Canada agrees that the right of self-determination cannot be made conditional.