Madam Speaker, as a legislator in this country, it is not about one group or another for me. It is not about Jew or Muslim, Christian or Hindu. It is about the fact that for us to maintain our pluralism in this country, we have to focus on our sovereign rights as Canadians. That means upholding democratic values around the world and not equivocating or pretending we can appease regimes that have stated intent to destroy our pluralism.
I love every member of my community deeply. I know how much the Palestinian community is hurting and I understand how much fear the Jews in my community feel; however, for me to represent them as a Canadian legislator, I have to first stand for their sovereign rights, and that means standing with democratic allies, like Israel.