Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much to our witnesses for appearing before us today and for the insights that they have provided. We are grateful.
I'd like to begin with an observation and ask you to comment.
It's been very clear that Canada has never drawn any equivalency between the State of Israel and Hamas—which, as you've just said, Mr. Lévêque, is a terrorist organization—but we do recognize and acknowledge an equivalency between the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. Both share aspirations for peace and security.
I also believe that Canada remains, as you've articulated, firmly committed to Israel's right to exist in peace and security, but we have also acknowledged and recognized that lasting peace requires a viable, stable Palestinian state that fully acknowledges Israel's inalienable right to security and peace.
You've spoken at some length on this already, Mr. Lévêque. You mentioned the UN Security Council resolution that the Americans are bringing forward and a number of significant next steps. Could you give us some insight into what Canada's role could be in supporting those multilateral efforts to stabilize the region, to prevent escalation and to help secure that stable, viable peace and security that both the Palestinian and Israeli people aspire to?