Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, thank you very much to all of our witnesses.
Thank you for being here in person, Mr. Rock. I know you have to leave, so I'm going to ask you a few questions first, before you have to go. I'm going to ask questions about current events through that diplomatic lens.
I read your recent article that you wrote with Lloyd Axworthy, “In the conflict in Gaza, we must think about the children”. It was very well done. Thank you very much for writing that. You said that “Shielding children from armed conflict was once an international priority” but in recent years has fallen off Canada's priority list. You also asked the question: “Do we not all love our children, and thus want to spare them the horrors of war?”
I want to ask you specifically about Gaza and the massive impact on children. We know that 7,000 to 8,000 children have been killed in the bombardments, and many more of course are at risk due to the blockade and the ongoing war. In fact, I think it's fair to say that Gaza, right now, is the most dangerous place in the world for children.
In the West Bank, we know that Israel is prosecuting between 500 and 700 Palestinian children in military courts each year. Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, like adults, face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment under an Israeli military detention system that denies them basic human rights.
In your opinion, why has it taken Canada so long to call for a ceasefire when the impact on children in Gaza is so severe? What should Canada do now to reaffirm its commitment to the protection of children in places like Israel and Palestine or, in fact, in any conflict?