Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 4th, 2025

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

There's state recognition. That means we recognize the authority of that state to participate in international fora, but we may disagree with governments, as we do in many cases, like Venezuela, for instance.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

That is correct.

I would say that the process of recognition is a one-time thing. The process of normalization of relations that includes the full suite of tools, first of all through the mutual recognition of embassies and ambassadors, privileges and immunities, diplomatic property, etc., is along the spectrum of the normalization of relations.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

That would include diplomatic relations eventually. It would include the borders and boundaries and eventually the capital, but this would be a normal process.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

It is a very normal process. I would say that a number of other tools exist to continue engaging, just like with any other country, whether it's MOUs, treaties, consultations, trade agreements, etc. These are all along the lines of the spectrum, if you will, of normalization between two countries. We are still at the beginning of that process.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I have two other areas of questioning. One is that we appear to be cautiously optimistic about the ceasefire holding. Is that a good characterization and, if so, how is Canada participating in reinforcing this ceasefire and peace agreement?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

It is a good characterization. The ceasefire has had a few false starts already, but overall it is holding. I think it will require constant attention by global leaders in order to keep the pressure on all sides for this to continue to hold. Canada is currently, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, represented in the Civilian-Military Coordination Center, which is U.S. led, and is based in Israel just north of Gaza. It's a large building with several floors. The Israel Defense Forces are there. International partners are there. The American military is there. We are embedded through civilian and military presence in this group, in this cell, which is there to observe and document the daily occurrences of the ceasefire.

The intention is to migrate from this to an international stabilization force. As a matter of fact, just this morning we learned that the United States was going to table at the UN Security Council a resolution to establish an ISF, an international stabilization force. This is a very positive development, because this force could have been developed outside of UN confines. It could have been done as regional groupings, strictly U.S. led. The fact that it is being introduced in the context of the UN Security Council is an indication of doubling down on multinational institutions, but it also has a much higher likelihood of drawing the credibility and the legitimacy that the world is looking for. It will, therefore, also increase the likelihood of military contributions of a peacekeeping nature or at least of an observational nature to be from across the globe.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

We have ongoing conversations with the Palestinian Authority and are attempting to support it in its modernization and in its capacity to govern all of the new Palestinian state once we have a two-state solution.

Constraints have been placed on the PA through the forwarding of taxes and monies from Israel. Are we continuing to advocate for the PA to have the resources it should have to do the work that it needs to do?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

We are very strongly. Canada is not alone in doing this. A large number of partners, particularly European partners, continue to increase this pressure and these requests.

Ultimately, we collectively believe that it is fundamentally in Israel's interest in the longer-term security to have a stable, secure, well-managed and well-governed Palestinian state, both in the West Bank and in Gaza. The way to do this is not by suffocating the governing authorities from any revenues. These are revenues on the basis of exports and goods coming out of the West Bank. We think it is legitimate for these to be collected by the current governing authority.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I will just open the door on humanitarian assistance and I will follow-up with further questions on that.

Canada's role is that we are a significant contributor. My assumption is that this will continue.

Are there things you should be asking us to ask our government for?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

You have time for a 10-second response, please.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

We can come back to it later.

We will continue to follow the international appeals for humanitarian assistance. We have set aside a significant amount of money right now, but we know the need is going to continue to be great.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for being with us today to take part in this meeting.

When the government recognized Palestine, it cited humanitarian reasons, among other reasons. I'm going to focus on humanitarian aid.

How does that recognition by the Canadian government actually translate into international aid policy, particularly in Gaza, in a context where humanitarian aid is difficult to access, even after the ceasefire?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

Thank you for the question.

The fundamental principle that led the government to recognize the state of Palestine was the fear that the possibility of a two-state solution could disappear forever. That means the goal was to preserve that space where, at the international level, an Israeli state can continue to be recognized and a Palestinian state can also be recognized legally. Today, we know that there's very little trust between Israelis and Palestinians from all factions.

Humanitarian aid fits in as part of that process. I'd say that there isn't necessarily a direct link between that aid and the recognition of Palestine. However, there was clearly a deterioration in the Gaza Strip, and Israeli armed forces were preventing humanitarian aid from entering there. Those two messages arrived at the same time.

That said, I wouldn't directly link humanitarian aid and the desire to carry out our responsibility with the legal political decision that was made, namely to recognize the state of Palestine.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Canada has said that it wants to support a credible peace plan.

What are your department's criteria for defining what a credible plan is? If we want to support this plan, we would first need to know the criteria.

[Alexandre Lévêque]

That's a great question, and it's pretty fundamental.

The most important criterion for a peace plan to be credible is to get support from the parties to the conflict. We aren't there yet. If all Arab countries, the United States, the Europeans and the entire world commit to a peace plan as drawn up, it means that the whole world believes that it's possible to achieve that status and foster a climate with greater trust between the parties.

For the peace plan to be credible, the first elements of the plan have to be carried out. For that to happen, Hamas has to completely transfer power and be demilitarized. The civilian population also, of course, has to stop suffering.

That means it's absolutely essential for humanitarian aid, such as medicine, clean drinking water and staple foods, to be able to enter the Gaza Strip.

Once those elements are in place, there's a collective belief that mutual trust can begin to build between the various parties to the conflict.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

When was the last time Canada sanctioned entities in Israel?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

It was earlier this year, in the spring of 2025.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

That's right.

From what I understand, then, there have been no additional sanctions against Israeli ministers since Palestine was recognized.

On the one hand, the government recognizes Palestine and wants a two-state solution. Like everyone else, it wants Hamas to be disarmed and not to be part of the solution.

On the other hand, war crimes have still been committed. Humanitarian aid was purposely prevented from entering. Orders were given to ensure that this aid didn't enter as it should have done. Many around the world have called for sanctions, including against Prime Minister Netanyahu directly, but also against some of his ministers.

Isn't that a bit contradictory? Doesn't that show a lack of courage from the government to apply additional sanctions?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

I would start by saying that the sanctions regime on which Canada relies, the legislation that governs sanctions in general, makes it so that specific triggers have to take place before sanctions can be announced.

In other words, sanctions don't reflect a political or ideological act. They're measures that are taken when threats to peace and security are observed, for example.

It's in response to that trigger under Canada's economic sanctions legislation that two Israeli cabinet ministers were sanctioned.

That same trigger led to sanctions for extremist settler groups in the West Bank. It's a very dynamic situation that continues to evolve.

Right now, we see that there's a significant resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a suspension of calls to annex the West Bank.

We're continuing to monitor the situation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you. I'm sorry, but we're out of time.

We'll start the next round of questions, beginning with MP Kronis.

You have five minutes.

[Tamara Kronis, Conservative, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank the witnesses for being here. This is an important topic of concern to my constituents, and I'm glad for the updates.

I have a couple of quick yes-or-no questions for Mr. Lévêque, and then I have some questions for Ms. Netley about international law.

Mr. Lévêque, Canada has recognized a state of Palestine in furtherance of a two-state solution. Does GAC have a map of the state of Palestine?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

Yes.

[Tamara Kronis, Conservative, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Is that map publicly available?

[Alexandre Lévêque]

We don't produce our own maps at Global Affairs. We use publicly available maps.