Debates of Feb. 18th, 2016

Opposition Motion—Israel

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was glad I was able to listen to the eloquent speech of my colleague from Mount Royal. It was very moving. When he finished, members on this side of the House and I know on his side gave him a standing ovation. I congratulate him on that.

Yes, it is a shame what happened to a number of Israeli businesses that were targeted by BDS, but as I pointed out in my speech the movement to continue to support these Israeli businesses remains strong. That tells us something. It tells us where we are going with this. As legislators, we need to stand up. We need to promote opportunities and businesses for Canada and for Israel.

To not fall victim to this, we need to take a stand. It is about principle. By condemning this, it shows leadership as a nation, as a Parliament, that we will not tolerate what BDS stands for.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for enlightening us on our great ties, not only as friends democratically but also in our institutions, as well as our agreements for research and development.

Is he aware of any other boycott, divestment and sanctions movement that would be against the Syrian regime; or against Iran, a terrible tyrant and human rights abuser; or North Korea. Does he know if these folksin the BDS movement are speaking out for the rights of women in Saudi Arabia? Is the member aware of any movements like that, or of people inside the present BDS movement, who are voicing concern on the human rights issues of these other major offenders?

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. He is missing a whole slew of countries that are human rights abusers and are not even being mentioned. BDS singles out the only liberal democracy in the region, and completely ignores everything else. It is a stable democracy. We have business ties to it. It has a growing economy. BDS completely ignores everyone else. It goes against Israel.

Again, as I said in my speech, this is not looking at other issues. It is just anti-Israel, full stop. There are not options. We need to take a stand in the House, so I encourage all members to support the motion.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, anyone who looks at the territorial changes that have been made since 1967 will see that Israel is invading the territory of Palestine, against which it is literally waging war. The fact that Israel is a Canadian ally is no reason to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that are happening in that region.

What else does my colleague propose? What does he think we need to do to resolve the conflict in that region, if not impose economic sanctions? Everything Canada has tried so far has failed.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Mount Royal who asked the first question actually addressed that in his speech. I encourage the member to listen to that. That is actually not what happened. I do not even know where to start in my answer on that one.

We need to make a stand as a friend of Israel, to show the world that Canada stands up against this type of action, this type of anti-Semitism. This cannot be tolerated. Condemning it is the first step in showing that we mean business. I, unfortunately, disagree with the member from NDP, but, again, if he looks at the comments by my friend from Mount Royal in the blues, he pointed that out very eloquently.

As I said, this is a group that is anti-Israel, full stop. I cannot adequately express how we as a country and as a Parliament need to make a stand. It is very important for the region and our ties and relationship with Israel that we point out that we support liberal democracies, especially in the Middle East, when around it human rights abusers are being given a free pass.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise today to address a very important issue, and I want to take a different perspective on it.

First, I will start by making it very clear that Canada is indeed a friend of Israel. It has always been and will continue to be. I am very happy to make it clear that the relationship even between the current Prime Minister of Israel and our Prime Minister here in Canada is very positive. We have heard that from both prime ministers.

I listened to the debate today, and at times it did get somewhat political. However, the point was made very clearly that we recognize as a House the important role and friendship between two great nations.

In listening to the debate, a number of thoughts came to mind. I have been a parliamentarian now for about 25 years, both here and inside the Manitoba legislature. Shortly after I was first elected, I became the critic for multiculturalism. One of the privileges of being the critic was attending what we call “Folklorama” in the province of Manitoba, where I got to experience the many different heritages that make up our great nation through the 50-plus pavilions there. Of course, Israel has long had a pavilion in the city of Winnipeg, and I have participated in that pavilion over the years as an observer, and on one occasion getting more engaged.

What I have found is that we should not assume that the majority of Canadians have the understanding that is our privilege to have, from dedicating so much of our lives to serving them and trying to get a better understanding of the wide variety of issues out there, particularly in the foreign affairs field.

I listened to many speeches today, as other members have, and I was really impressed with the Minister of Foreign Affairs as he provided balance to the debate and emphasized the importance of the relationship between Canada and Israel, and of making sure that when we talk about the relationship today, we have balance in the debate.

I listened to the passion of the member for Mount Royal as he spoke eloquently and articulately the importance of the bias of the BDS movement and how it has singled out Israel. I hope to add more comment in regards to that.

We have been privy to more information and understanding, whether today or in the years we have served, given that we are different people with different positions prior to being elected. Therefore, we might be better informed than many other Canadians.

I can recall that when I first travelled to Israel, I did not understand the concept of a two-state situation. I did not understand Middle East politics. It took time for me to appreciate, as I do today, that it is a very complicated issue. I wish those who have the influence and ability to contribute to resolving that problem the very best in doing so.

I have heard government member after government member stand in the chamber and say that this is not a wedge issue, that it is about standing with our friend in Israel. I will respect, to a certain degree, that in good part there might be some good faith in bringing in the resolution as it is currently worded. However, I am not convinced that it has been worded to the degree to which it could have received unanimous support in the House, because when I listen to the Green Party, New Democrats, and definitely government members—although I am not sure of the Bloc Québécois—everyone seems to recognize that the BDS movement has fundamental flaws, and we need to talk about that. I suspect that had the opposition day motion dealt with that as the core issue in opposition to BDS, we might have had the unanimous support of the House.

We do not have to tell that to the citizens of Canada, and at the end of the day it is not only the citizens of Canada, obviously, but also the nation of Israel. Indeed, from what I understand, Canada has the fourth largest Jewish heritage population in the world, after the United States first, followed by Israel, then I believe France, and then Canada.

We have a vested interest not only from a heritage point of view, but also because what takes place in the Middle East is of interest to the world, including Canada. Canada has a place at the table, as it should.

I believe at my core that the approach we need to take is what we witnessed in question period today by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the consistent approach by past leaders of the Liberal Party, and today the Prime Minister of Canada. He has been very clear in his stance, no matter how others might try to confuse it, both as Prime Minister and as leader of the Liberal Party.

Let me give a couple of specific quotes. For example, in October 2015, when the Prime Minister was the leader of the party, he referred to his opposition to the BDS movement, which he clearly stated was unfairly targeting Israel. He said:

I’m opposed to the BDS movement. I think that it’s an example of the new form of anti-Semitism in the world, as Irwin Cotler points out, an example of the three “Ds”: demonization of Israel, delegitimization of Israel, and double standard applied toward Israel.

I would like to pause there. We should realize that it was the government of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, that brought in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is possibly one of the greatest treasures, next to our health care system, that Canadians take a great deal of pride in. Canadians love the charter of rights. One cannot accuse the Liberal Party, of all political parties, of questionable actions that would infringe upon our individual freedoms, especially freedom of speech, and the freedoms of others around the world. We are the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In fact, on one occasion when I was in Israel, I entered into a discussion because I saw a plaque outside Old Jerusalem that made reference to the Canadian charter of rights and a tour guide was so proud of the fact that Canada had the charter.

I respect the New Democrats when they talk about freedom of speech. I too believe in freedom of speech, but we need to recognize that there are some limits to freedom of speech. There are some responsibilities that we have to take into consideration.

I will get right back to the quote of the Prime Minister from back in 2015. He stated:

I’m all for freedom of speech and expression in Canada, and we need to be sure we’re defending that. But when Canadian university students are feeling unsafe on their way to classes because of BDS or Israel Apartheid Week, that just goes against Canadian values. And I have said so, not just in news interviews, but in person on university campuses.

Whether in the office of the Prime Minister or prior, the Leader of the Liberal Party has been consistent in regard to BDS. Each member who has stood up inside this chamber has been consistent in regard to BDS, maybe not quite unanimously. The Liberal members understand the issue and the motivation behind BDS.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs raised the issue of education, when the Conservatives introduced the motion. For the many Canadians who just want to see peace in the Middle East and hear about a boycott for the first time, we need them to understand what is behind the motivation of the boycott request. That is very much anti-Israel.

Going back to the days when I was the multicultural critic, I talked about the importance of cross-cultural awareness. I take a great sense of pride in the fact that in Winnipeg we are now home to a national museum. I believe it might be the first national museum outside Ottawa. The birth of the idea actually came from Israel Asper, a great Canadian, who ultimately shared his idea. It is just a few minutes' walk away from The Forks in Winnipeg, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet.

I would encourage not only members but Canadians as whole to take advantage, and go down to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in downtown Winnipeg. It is a national museum. It is something we should all be proud of. We believe it will make a difference at the end of the day.

When I was a critic, many years ago, time and time again I talked about the importance of cross-cultural awareness. It was not me who came up with the idea. It was a committee of individuals of all different ethnic and faith backgrounds. Canadians as a whole understand the importance of doing what we can to combat racism in whatever way we can. They expect our national government to play a leadership role in doing that. The message I would give is that the Government of Canada today is very clear on that issue. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to promote and encourage tolerance and racial harmony. I can appreciate that there are aspects of it that are very sensitive, even within the Liberal caucus.

Let us not underestimate what the BDS movement really is. I will defend a person's right to speak on a wide variety of issues. Freedom of speech is really important to me, as I know it is in the hearts and souls of most, if not all, people inside this chamber.

I do believe there are times when that line is crossed. I guess the best way I could articulate that would be to take the message that my colleague from Mount Royal gave not that long ago, in terms of just talking about how Israel as a nation has been singled out.

What is BDS? It is boycott, divestment, and sanctions against a nation.

The boycott that is being suggested would, ultimately, do far more harm than good. As other members have talked about and as I have raised in the form of questions, let us not kid ourselves. This is targeted at Israel, and Israel alone. That should be raising the eyebrows of all members in the chamber. We should ask why. If we compare Israel to other countries, especially in the Middle East, there are many other countries upon which one could take this sort of a stand.

Why is Israel being singled out? I believe the motivation originally behind the BDS is, in fact, anti-Semitic. That is something all of us should be recognizing, at least from my perspective. I would encourage all members to do that. We can justify all sorts of things through freedom of speech, but at the end of the day, that is probably one of the strongest arguments.

On this whole idea of sanctions, I will talk about the Minister of Foreign Affairs's reference to SodaStream. I heard another member make reference to it. SodaStream was a company located in the West Bank. It employed 100-plus employees of Palestinian background. They were good-paying jobs, but because of BDS, if not directly then indirectly, it ultimately had to close. Who did that help and who did that hurt?

There is no winner in what BDS is proposing. I truly believe that. If we read the motivations in it, then I suspect that there is good reason for us to be very concerned about it having a lot more to do with hatred and racism. These are the types of things that all of us should not only be aware of but play whatever role we can. We represent varying population bases of anywhere from 40,000 to 140,000, depending on the region. I represent Winnipeg North and I thank my constituents for entrusting me to represent them. I will do the best I can in the chamber.

Our responsibility is to look at what is being proposed in the motion. Even though I might have changed a few words here and there, I would have rather attempted to achieve unanimous support, if it was achievable. Based on what I was hearing from some New Democrats, I believe that it could have been achievable. We would have been better served doing that. However, I have to vote based on what is being presented. We have seen solid leadership from the Government of Canada on this issue.

I clearly indicated at the beginning of my speech that Israel is a friend of Canada. Canada, in many ways, has been there in the past for Israel and will continue to be there. We want to play a proactive leadership role in the Middle East, which is different from the previous government. I believe that we can make a difference and I would encourage members to read what has been said today in the chamber. At the end of the day, we can send a strong message with regard to the BDS movement. Its motivation is all wrong. It is not good. I believe it has crossed the line. Even if there are aspects that members feel a little uncomfortable with, it is a motion that we should be voting for.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was extremely happy to hear that the hon. member's government will do whatever is needed to restore tolerance. What action does he think his government should take to stop the discriminatory BDS practices on Canadian university campuses?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as government or opposition members of Parliament, we have tools to communicate, whether through our websites, our householders, or our ten percenters. It is about education. If we receive an invite to attend a post-secondary institution, a high school, or an elementary school, we should take advantage of that opportunity to speak at special events. For example, today I had a wonderful opportunity to talk about the Komagata Maru, as the Liberal government is aggressively pursuing an apology. We should take advantage of these opportunities. We should talk about them and let others know about them. It is about education.

I suspect there is only a minute fraction who would support the original BDS movement in terms of what it is trying to preach. Education is the best way to deal with this issue.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I must say that was an astounding speech. This member was a former member of the provincial legislature and has been in this House for a long time. He stood up here and said that there were a few words that the Liberals do not agree with, but that we should pass it anyway. Words are all we have in this House, and this motion is clearly poorly worded. We have pointed that out a number of times in our debate.

The Liberals are trying to wriggle off the hook here. What they should be doing is voting against this motion and putting forward their own motion that better expresses their views.

With respect to this notion of we will just pass it and move on, the motion is asking to condemn individuals for speaking freely in Canada. We know that is a mistake. Will the member agree that the best thing to do is to vote against this motion? We have a whole government here. There are hardly any bills on the docket. Why do the Liberals not put forward their own motion to express what they think should happen on this issue?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member himself will have to deal with why, from what I understand, the NDP will be voting as a block against the motion.

I understand that he is talking about freedom of speech. Where we might differ is that the New Democratic Party may not believe there are any limits to freedom of speech. That is something I would have to agree to disagree on.

In a responsible democracy, where we have the rule of law and the Charter of Rights, there is still some responsibility. When we look at the motion itself, there is a very strong message that needs to be sent here. At the end of the day, I believe that it would be a stronger message if we had individuals from all parties voting in favour of it.

With respect to changing it, one of the things we want to be careful of is changing opposition motions. He is suggesting that we should change the motion. I do not think he would want us to change an NDP motion. That is just part of the tradition we have here.

It is not the perfect wording, I will grant him that much, but I do not think it would be appropriate for us to change the motion, unless the opposition would give us unanimous consent, at which point I am sure we would.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, freedom of speech has been referenced numerous times during this debate, and it was just referenced again. I was wondering if the member would like to comment on the fact that in freedom of speech debates there is a very important distinction between “condemnation” and “prohibition”.

Would the member like to expand on that important point?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. I would rather provide comment on the fact that I highlighted the importance of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Within the charter, it guarantees fundamental freedoms and individuals' ability to have rights of speech. There are very few, but there are some limitations, and even courts in Canada have made that determination.

One of the words, which the member makes reference to, distinguishes the difference: where as much as possible, we should encourage and promote freedom of speech, and where there are times, and I suspect they are very rare, that we should not be intimidated into saying how we truly feel about a statement or about a line that is being taken in the public or anywhere in the world.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, one thing that is unhelpful in this place is the practice of wedge politics, where the purpose of the legislative initiative is not to advance dialogue or make better policy for this country, but rather to embarrass or wedge people into positions that are simplistic. We have seen the Conservatives do that repeatedly for 10 years. My hon. colleague on the other side has seen that as well.

I remember the Conservative minister of public safety who said we were either with the Conservatives on their crime agenda or we stood “with the child pornographers”. This was an approach to government that I think Canadians soundly rejected in 2015. They want people in the House to put forth thoughtful policy that will advance the interests of Canada and Canadians.

Instead of a very controversial motion that seeks to condemn and separate Canadians, saying we are either racist or we are not, would the member not agree that it would be productive for his government to put forward a plan before the House to show how we can assist the Israeli government and the Palestinian government to get back to a table and negotiate a resolution, so that there is no more blood spilt in that region and those people can live in peace and security in the years ahead?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I suspect that if we had the number of days of sitting that would allow it, I could probably come up with a dozen or so resolutions and motions myself that I would like to see debated and voted on in the House. A couple or a few of them might even come from Foreign Affairs. There is a limited amount of time. The government is committed to implementing a series of platform issues. That is the type of legislation we have here today. Time allows for opposition members to bring forward ideas that they have. If they are prepared to forfeit one or two of their opposition days, I am sure we could even come up with a consensus on some things that we could bring to the chamber. Time is a scarce commodity in the chamber.

I get the general gist of what the member said in terms of the past, and that is why I made reference to the contrast, whether or not it is the Minister of Foreign Affairs trying to tone down the issue, trying to be a broker. I think that is the right attitude that we should be taking. The member for Mount Royal talked about the importance of trying to apoliticize this. I suspect he would have loved to see a motion that everyone in this chamber would get behind and support.

There will be motions that come before the House on which we will get unanimous support, and sometimes we will not. I would suggest that the author has a lot to do with it. If the author really wants to have unanimous support and it is potentially there, it is worth investing the time and energy in talking with other parties to try to achieve it. If they are prepared to do that, I suspect we will see unanimous support on opposition day motions. If they are not prepared to do that, then it will be kind of a hit and miss thing.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Flamborough—Glanbrook.

I am standing in this House today to stand with Israel, a free and democratic country that is besieged by the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

Fundamental to the discussion today is my belief that our charter of rights, our long history with Israel, and the many signed agreements we have with Israel demand that we disallow the operation of the BDS movement in Canada on the basis of discrimination.

Israel was established as a free nation in 1948. Canada has had a long-standing friendship with Israel from the beginning. Both nations were founded by those seeking political and religious freedom. Both have absorbed waves of immigrants seeking political freedom and economic well-being, and both have evolved into democracies that respect the rule of law, the will of voters, and the rights of minorities.

One of the underlying strengths of the Canada-Israel bilateral relationship lies in the extensive people-to-people ties. There are approximately 20,000 Canadian citizens living in Israel, and many Canadians have family in Israel.

The Canadian Jewish community, which stands at around 350,000 people, acts as an important bridge between Canada and Israel. These informal ties give rise to significant co-operation between our two countries in business, philanthropy, and tourism.

We clearly have the Israeli embassy right here in Ottawa and consulates in Montreal and Toronto. Support for Israel, especially its right to live in peace and security with its neighbours, has been at the core of Canada's Middle East policy since 1948.

We have signed multiple letters of declaration of intent to trade with Israel, including the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect in 1997 and eliminated tariffs on all industrial products manufactured in Canada and Israel as well as a limited number of agricultural and fisheries products.

Between 1999 and 2003, additional agriculture and agri-food tariff reductions on goods previously excluded from those agreements were successfully negotiated. This included preferences for a number of Canada's top agriculture and agri-food exports to Israel.

In addition to this agreement, we have signed multiple other contracts for aviation, transportation, science and technology, and the space industry. From a science perspective, Israel's ability to innovate is best in class in the world, and we as Canadians need to learn from Israelis and leverage our research together.

We have been engaging in mutual collaboration when and where possible on energy and other sectors such as information and communications technology, life sciences, as well as ocean and sustainable technology, which are critical to Canada's economic development.

The Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation has enabled technologies that have generated a minimum of hundreds of millions in economic value for Canadian and Israeli companies alone over the past decade.

In addition to our economic agreements, we have also signed broader agreements. Let me read an excerpt from the memorandum of understanding that Canada signed with Israel as part of the Canada-Israel strategic partnership:

Understanding that the security of Israel and the wider regions directly affects the security of Canada

Recognizing that Israel, Canada, and all nations of the world, under the UN Charter, have the right to live in peace and security and the right of self defence;

Considering that we have a long history of diplomatic cooperation, bilaterally and in a variety of multilateral fora,

Wishing to deepen our relationship by enhancing our bilateral engagement and cooperation across the widest possible spectrum to promote and enhance these values, commitments and interests, resting on the four central pillars of diplomatic partnership: security, economic prosperity and culture and education,...

Having promised this to Israel, why are we allowing the BDS movement to encourage boycotting Israeli artists and Israeli businesses and calling for the destruction of Israel as a state? Why are we allowing BDS to influence our academic institutions? We need to take action to address this hateful behaviour that goes against our Canadian values and policies.

I would suggest we follow the actions of some of our allies. The British government is currently preparing to unveil rules that would prohibit public institutions from adopting boycotts against Israel. Under the new legislation, all publicly funded institutions such as local town halls, universities, and student unions could face prosecution should they pursue and enforce the boycott of goods and services from the Jewish state.

Another bill was sponsored by the French republican party. In a statement issued, the party said that BDS efforts are divisive and hateful and have no place in Paris. The Paris municipality approved a bill barring city departments and city-affiliated organizations from hosting events or fostering ties with the BDS movement or any other group urging divestment from Israel or boycotting Israeli products.

The boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement has goals to reverse all of the things that our government has been supporting for years. Let me quote from its web page:

Boycotts... Anyone can boycott Israeli goods, simply by making sure that they don't buy produce made in Israel or by Israeli companies. Campaigners and groups call on consumers not to buy Israeli goods and on businesses not to buy or sell them.

Let us examine how the BDS movement is demonizing Israel, the lone democracy in the Middle East.

BDS claims that Israel is uniquely responsible for the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel has tried time and time again to make peace and has co-operated in numerous peace negotiations, so this simply is not true.

BDS calls for Canadian universities to cut ties with Israeli academia.

Israel is a vibrant democracy that protects the rights of women, homosexuals, and religious minorities. Arabs in Israel have more freedoms than Arabs in any other Arab country. In fact, Israel is the only functioning democracy in the entire Middle East region, and is surrounded by cruel dictatorships that engage in systematic and egregious human rights violations.

Yet the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement calls for the isolation of only one state, Israel. Clearly this does not align with Canadian policies and agreements and is discriminatory. It also does not align with the view of the majority of Canadians. Two-thirds of Canadians are either Christian or Jewish according to the latest census results. This is an overwhelming majority of Canadians. Christians and Jews believe this verse from the book of Genesis, chapter 27, verse 29, where it says regarding Israel, “May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed”.

The BDS movement is cursing Israel. It is boycotting Israeli goods and services. It is discriminating against the Jewish people, and it is spreading anti-Semitic views and advocating for the elimination of Israel as a free state.

Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights of every individual to be free from discrimination. Let me remind members of it:

Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

How can we allow in our country an organization like the BDS movement to operate when it clearly is discriminating against the Jews? How can we allow it to infiltrate our Canadian academic institutions and fill the minds of our young people with hatred for Israel?

Today I am calling on the government for action, recognizing that Israel is a free state with a right to exist and a right to defend itself. I am calling on the government to condemn any organizations, groups, or individuals that actively promote the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement. I am calling on the Liberal government to stand up for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to stand up for the 24 million Canadian Christians and Jews who want to stand with Israel. I am calling on the government to stand with Israel that we as a nation might be blessed.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since 1948, the creation of the State of Israel, and with the years past, it was clear to anybody that forces motion and even veto power did not resolve the problem. In 1948, the Palestinians started a fight with guns or machine guns, and now we see them launching missiles on the State of Israel.

The vision of this government is to bring both sides together under the umbrella of the United Nations, helping both sides to compromise, as the late Yitzhak Rabin, may he rest in peace, did and Yasser Arafat also, and with the United Nations doing its best to promote peace, to have a lasting peace agreement paving the way for prosperity and security for the generations to come.

I would like the member to comment on this.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, obviously peace is always the best approach. There have been many attempts to achieve peace in Israel, without success to date. However, my point is that Israel is a free and democratic nation, and as such it has the right to defend itself when people shoot missiles at it. For example, Canada is a free and democratic country. If somebody were to attack us, we have the right to defend ourselves. Israel has that right as well. Although my favourite would be to have peace in the region, I still do not want to take away the rights of Israel to defend itself.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to look back in history a little.

On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice ordered that the wall between Israel and Palestine be torn down, saying that it violated international law. On July 9, 2005, the BDS movement began. I think there is a link between the two.

Peaceful groups such as PAJU, Palestinian and Jewish Unity, promote the BDS campaign, claiming that it constitutes peaceful action. I can give names. There have been calls to boycott in the past. There was a boycott against South Africa during apartheid. There was one against Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, during the military junta. France called for a boycott against Mexico when Florence Cassez was kidnapped. There was also a boycott against California grapes. I did not eat those grapes for many years.

However, during the years that we were boycotting California grapes, the Liberal government, then led by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, never prohibited or condemned anyone. The hate propaganda argument amounts to censorship.

If I understand what my colleague is saying, Canada would be one of the few democratic countries in which calling for a boycott, a peaceful action by a citizen movement to criticize another state, would be condemned.

The Bloc Québécois believes in freedom of expression, whether a person is for or against the campaign. Freedom of expression takes precedence, and that is what we must protect from this motion.

Does my esteemed colleague not agree?

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the difference is that this insidious organization is having an impact in Canada. It is on the soil of our Canadian universities. Its members are affecting people's opinions. They are trying to influence the freedom of rights of Canadians. They are trying to drum up this anti-Semitic view. We simply cannot allow that.

Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms clearly specifies we cannot have discrimination. Because it has come to our place, we have to rise up and we have to take action to ensure we do not allow this organization to take root in our country.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, because this is the first opportunity I have had to give a speech, I have not had an extended amount of time to thank the citizens of Flamborough—Glanbrook for their trust and confidence.

It is a brand new riding. The original riding that I represented was Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, which was divided by the commission. I now had to prove my worth with a new group of people from Flamborough—Glanbrook, and I am glad they put their trust in me. I want to thank all the volunteers and supporters who made it possible for me to come here and speak to issues on their behalf.

It is an honour for me to rise in the House today to support the motion by my colleagues. I would like to take this time to amplify the many salient points made by my caucus colleagues throughout the debate, and frankly from the other side of the House too, on the important motion to reject and condemn the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and call it what it is: the deliberate, malicious targeting of Israel, a long-standing friend of Canada and Canadians.

As the final speaker likely from our side of the House on the motion, and by way of closing arguments, I would like to reiterate three key points made by my colleagues throughout the discussion today. First, Israel is our friend. Second, the BDS movement is nothing but thinly veiled anti-Semitism, and to be very frank, Jew hatred. Third, the BDS movement has completely misplaced in its narrow-minded agenda and it ignores regimes like Iran and North Korea that are serial human rights abusers.

First and foremost, the premise of the motion before us recognizes the friendship Canada shares with Israel. As chair of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group for the last four years, I have had the privilege of watching the relationship between these two nations strengthen and grow. Our closest friends on the world stage are those who share our values. In the case of Canada and Israel, we are bound together in strong beliefs in freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

For Israel, these values have come at a very high price. In a region where basic human rights are denied time and again, in a region where democracy has yet to take root, in a region ravaged by war, and in the face of terrorism, Israel has become a beacon for hope, freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. With those values serving as the foundation of our friendship, both nations now enjoy improved diplomatic ties as well as strengthened and growing economic relations, including the modernization of the bilateral free trade agreement between Israel and Canada last July.

Although our friendship is alive, Israel faces a renewed enemy. It is a rise of a new kind of anti-Semitism, and it is not exclusive to the Middle East. It exists in Canada with those groups so actively calling for boycott, divestment and sanction against Israel.

In 2011, I served on the panel of inquiry for the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat anti-Semitism. The panel heard about organized anti-Semitic efforts, like the boycott, divestment and sanction movement. In broad terms, BDS exists to delegitimize and isolate Israel, advocating for the elimination of the Jewish state, while making the claim that Israel alone is responsible for the Arab-Israeli conflict. This ideology is a dangerous slippery slope that should be alarming to all free people.

When people find it easy or palatable to hate Jews simply because they are of Jewish faith or ethnicity, it is not a stretch for that discrimination then to snowball to include more faiths, more and more ethnicities, and worse and worse consequences. As Canadians, we have a duty and moral obligation to stand up to this kind of ideology and say loudly “no”.

The panel heard from expert witnesses who confirmed movements like BDS breed hate and fuel anti-Semitism around the world. However, what is most alarming is what is happening right here in Canada, a land of tolerance and respect that all of us here in the House love.

Who would have thought that in early 21st century Canada, synagogues would be desecrated with swastikas and religious objects destroyed? Worse still, who would have thought in the early 21st century in Canada that Jewish community centres, schools, and synagogues would be fire bombed? Who would have thought in early 21st century Canada, anti-Israel protesters would chant profane and highly threatening chants in the core of our largest cities?

Through this motion, we must use our voice in the House of Commons on behalf of the Jewish community in Canada and abroad to reject this type of racist violence.

What is more is that the boycott initiative and events like Israel Apartheid Week are targeted at Israel, Israelis, and Jews.

We know that regimes like those in Iran, North Korea, Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, and others have horrifying human rights records. Yet, we do not see organized efforts to isolate and delegitimize them. Nor is their right to exist called into question by these same organizations. It is obvious, why the double standard.

While I will not stand here and make the claim that Israel is perfect, because no nation is, it is clear that the intent of those in favour of BDS is not to address concerns they might have with Israel to work toward a resolution, but rather to single out Israel's right to be treated with fairness and legitimacy, and to make all Jews responsible for contrived human rights abuses. This type of approach is not one that will lead to lasting peace in the region.

Pressuring consumers to avoid buying Israeli products, which happened in my home city of Hamilton, or calling for universities to cut ties with Israeli academia, which happened in my home city, at McMaster University, or calling for Israeli athletes to be banned from international sporting competitions and other actions like these does not and will not create a pathway to peace. Rather, these actions only encourage hate and discourage peace.

We suffered a dark day in Canadian history in 1939 when the government of the day rejected Jewish refugees on the St. Louis at Halifax Harbour. In doing so, we condemned hundreds of them to eventual death when they landed back in Nazi-controlled Europe. As one of our local rabbis said, we arguably allowed Hitler to believe that since no one would stand up for Jews, since no one would take them, then it was his opportunity to pursue his plan of Jew genocide.

It is easy to look back now and see how shameful that was. However, we forget that the 1930s was a time of rampant anti-Semitism in Canada.

Would we who are in the House now have spoken out in 1939? That is exactly the point of this motion: it is to stand up, to speak out and act now. If we are to learn anything from history, it is that no amount of anti-Semitism is tolerable.

If we were to go to Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem, which most Gentiles would call a museum of the Holocaust, or the Shoah, we would enter a building that shows the timeline of anti-Semitism, how it grew, how it became socially acceptable in Germany, and how that paved the way to allow Nazis to take over the country and to come up with what they called the ultimate solution.

It is educational to the point that any kind of racism, when allowed to brew, when allowed to fester, when allowed to grow, can turn into these kinds of atrocities that all of us despise, that all of us would condemn.

The reason the motion is important today is to send a very clear message to all of those who would be involved in BDS that this is unacceptable, that we reject it, that we condemn the message behind BDS, and ask those people who are ignorant of the core purposes of the very leaders who started BDS to educate themselves on it and to remove themselves from the movement.

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on his first speech and I would like to ask him to comment on my concerns.

I understand that this debate is very much about freedom of expression, but I cannot help but think that this issue goes far beyond freedom of expression. The impact of such an action will cause much more harm than the simple, yet important, value of freedom of expression.

What does my colleague think about that?

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would agree wholeheartedly with my colleague. There are broader issues. That is why we had struck the parliamentary coalition to combat anti-Semitism years ago. That is why we hosted the international coalition to combat anti-Semitism here. That is why the Ottawa protocol and our subsequent report came out from our own parliamentary coalition.

This is a very big concern. It is not only a concern with racism here, but a concern with our relationship with Israel, the capability for us to not only trade freely with it, but to nurture that relationship so we learn from other militarily, research and development, learning and developing in many different areas. Most provinces have memoranda of understanding or agreements with the State of Israel. There is much at stake in this regard. That is why we need to send a clear message around this BDS movement.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to ask a question during this debate. I want to thank all members of the House today for their thoughts on this. I would like to thank my colleague for his eloquent speech and all of the work that he has done.

I am going to use a couple of clichés before I ask him a very obvious question. We hear these things from time to time. People say that wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it and right is right even if no one is doing it, and all it takes for bad to triumph in this world is for good people to stand by and do nothing. We know that from our history. My wife is a Polish immigrant to Canada. I have taken her and my family to Auschwitz-Birkenau and have seen the effects of what the Holocaust did in those Nazi concentration camps in Poland. My children were horrified to see what actually happened, with the mounds of hair, luggage, and things that are on display there. People thought they were going to a better place and, ultimately, perished in the Holocaust. It was absolutely atrocious.

We know that there are people in this world who like to foment hatred and create this type of environment. It does not take the majority of a population to do this. The majority of Germans in 1939 were not Nazis, but the Nazis had enough people thinking the way they did to intimidate and badger the rest of the population in Germany, to whip them up into a frenzy, and to do these atrocities.

My question for my colleague is this. Why does he think it is so important that virtually every member in the House takes the opportunity right now to head this off at the pass, to send a clear message by all of us unanimously supporting this motion that is before the House today?

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have stated the case with regard to the BDS movement, but let me reassert that. We need to send a clear signal that no form of racism, anti-Semitism, or Jew hatred is acceptable, however cloaked, however minimal somebody may think it is, no matter how devious one is in fashioning it as some kind of legitimate criticism for Israel, even though it is Jew hatred.

Also, it is important for us to remember history and understand what the situation is. Many members have talked about the Middle East conflict. Hopefully our decision here will encourage some people to learn about what actually happens on a day-to-day basis in Israel. There were two stabbings today, one person is dead and another is in hospital critically injured. They were stabbed by a Palestinian activist. People should understand that there are thousands of missiles sent annually into Sderot and Ashdod and are reaching farther, almost to Tel Aviv now.

Let me share one quick story. When I was there, I was talking to a psychologist who got a call from his daughter. She was finally able to visit Jerusalem. She lived for 12 years under missile attacks every day and the first thing she said to him was, “Dad, you won't believe it. In Jerusalem when the alarm goes off, we have a full minute to get to the bomb shelter.” In Sderot, people have 12 seconds and that is why every bus stop is a bomb shelter. We need Canadians to learn about the actual situation there on the ground.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the outstanding member of Parliament for Humber River—Black Creek.

The boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, also known as the BDS movement, is a global campaign launched in 2005 in response to calls by Palestinians and international civil society groups for international sanctions against Israel. The BDS movement currently promotes a variety of actions intended to restrict trade with Israel. This includes targeting Canadian companies that engage in trade with Israel, or Israeli businesses, and calling for a boycott of those Canadian companies and their products. There have also been calls in Canada to boycott Israeli products.

The BDS movement, however, goes well beyond trade issues. Much of the movement is focused on university campuses in Europe and North America and includes repeated calls and intense pressure in favour of academic and cultural boycotts of Israel. Examples of this include pressuring musicians, writers, poets, and artists not to perform in or visit Israel. Similarly, professors and researchers are increasingly being pressured not to work with Israeli universities.

These bans threaten the intense and ongoing research collaboration between Israel and Canadian academics in areas such as the health and life sciences sector, environmental and clean technologies, and information and communication technologies.

Activities, such as the annual Israeli Apartheid Week events at Canadian universities promote the BDS movement and seek to equate Israel with apartheid.

Many organizations and individuals in Canada and abroad support the BDS movement out of the belief that it will somehow accelerate the peace process and lead to a lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, it is important to understand that the goal advocated and supported by Canada and many of our partners worldwide of a two-state solution with a secure, stable, and democratic Israel living side-by-side with a secure, stable, and democratic Palestinian state is not a solution that can be imposed from outside. A lasting peace will only come through direct negotiations between the two parties through negotiations without preconditions. Such actions only exacerbate the tensions in the region. The peace process would be better served by efforts to bring people together than those that seek to divide them.

These facts lead to the conclusion that the real intention of the BDS movement is not to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but to delegitimize and single out Israel. This is demonstrated by the one-sided nature of the movement. It targets Israel alone. It punishes Israel alone. It calls on Israel alone to act.

Canada has been firm in its opposition to the Arab boycott of Israel since it began in the 1970s, and Canada remains deeply concerned by all ongoing efforts to single out Israel for criticism and to isolate Israel internationally. Once again, this is not a recipe for achieving a lasting peace settlement.

It is important to recognize that the BDS movement is in fact a form of collective punishment. It is not carefully targeted toward the ends it claims to support, but instead seeks to punish all elements of Israeli society. Its effects go well beyond the government whose policies the BDS supporters claim to oppose. All segments of Israeli society are affected because the BDS movement's economic, cultural, and academic boycotts threaten to adversely affect all aspects of Israeli life. This highlights once again that the BDS movement is really about punishing Israel and not about advancing the peace process.

Furthermore, there is evidence that the BDS movement is hurting the very people its supporters claim they are seeking to help, the Palestinian people. In one case, a world-renowned Israeli company, SodaStream, was forced through threats of a BDS boycott to close its factory, which was located in the West Bank, in order to preserve access to global markets. This resulted in the loss of hundreds of well-paying jobs for Palestinians. The owner of the company went on the record to condemn the BDS movement and highlight its negative affect on the Palestinian people and economy.

Canada believes that supporting the economic prospects of the Palestinian people is a vital goal for ensuring their prosperity and dignity, and that it has the valuable side effect of creating stability and security in the region. Israel benefits when the Palestinian people are prosperous. In this spirit, Canada funds a host of projects to better the livelihood of the Palestinians. Working toward that goal is the sort of activity that will advance prospects for the peace process. Canada looks forward to being able to contribute to a reinvigorated Middle East peace process.

We noted with optimism the recent announcement by the Quartet. The governments of the United States, the European Union, and Russia plus the United Nations would work with all key partners in the region to create a report that provides recommendations for relaunching the peace process and advancing down the road to a two-state solution. It is vital that such efforts receive the support they require in order to be successful, and that efforts that are counter-productive to a lasting peace, like the BDS movement, be abandoned immediately.

Canada and Israel are strong, vibrant democracies where legitimate criticism within a legitimate discourse is expected and accepted. Nevertheless, discussion of the BDS movement too often descends into anti-Israel and even anti-Jewish rhetoric. There are also disturbing reports of Jewish students feeling unsafe at Canadian universities.

As Canada considers the Middle East process and seeks opportunities to move it forward toward a lasting solution that meets the interests of all the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, we should not be asking ourselves how to punish one party, but instead how we can remotivate people to get into a dialogue again, and how to start a positive process with the Israelis and Palestinians to relaunch a peace process.

Canada should reject the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement wholeheartedly. We should oppose calls to boycott Israel and Israeli products or to ban cultural and academic exchanges. We should instead seek to build bridges among the people of the region rather than use divisive language and counter-productive tactics. Although Canada recognizes that Israel should not be immune from criticism, Canada will continue to work to defend Israel from the BDS movement.