Foreign Affairs committee  Thanks very much, Mr. Chair. I'd like to begin by thanking the government for taking the unprecedented and essential step of raising this important issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries here in the foreign affairs committee. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs appl

Foreign Affairs committee  I would simply add that I think it's dangerous for us to be prescriptive in terms of where this process would lead. If we recognize that the constructive resolution will come from direct negotiations, there are direct stakeholders who can deal with that. I think for us the impor

Foreign Affairs committee  I don't think they've taken out a position, and that's not especially surprising. The experience of Jewish refugees from Arab countries, post their refugee status, is remarkably different from that of Palestinian refugees. I hesitated at taking the committee into something that's

Foreign Affairs committee  There's no doubt that the refugee issue is central to any resolution of the conflict. To suggest otherwise would be to deny the reality, most particularly, of Palestinians who continue to suffer in refugee camps, not only in the West Bank or in Gaza, but in all the surrounding co

Foreign Affairs committee  Descriptively, I think, you're reasonably accurate. The only comment I would make about the premise of the observation is that I do recall that at the beginning of the Oslo process, when Canada was invited to serve as the gavel holder of the refugee working group, there were some

Foreign Affairs committee  Although I know you are mindful of the time, perhaps I could just offer a 30-second closing thought. It draws from what Bob Rae observed a couple of moments ago. I think we have to ask ourselves the question of how Canada can contribute in this particular regard. I would be real

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to appear before the committee today to discuss Bill C-24. I'd like to begin by echoing the consensus surrounding the need to update the Citizenship Act and thank the government for taking on this important initiative. We look forward to

Citizenship and Immigration committee  First, thank you for your kind words. I agree with the premise of your observation, but I would come at it from a slightly different perspective. At CIJA we are thinking very hard about how Canadians can reflect appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful gift this country is,

Citizenship and Immigration committee  A deterrent effect on those who might be contemplating undertaking those kinds of acts...? I think if an individual appreciates the gift that is Canadian citizenship and the potential for forfeiting that gift as a result of particular actions, it very well might have that kind

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think you raise a critically important point. The short answer would be that, yes, I share the concern that you're expressing. I can think of a number of circumstances, especially where someone who is alleged to have committed or participated in a terrorist act abroad faces c

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Your observation, again, is reasonable and does reflect the process that has been in place here in Canada for many years. I can tell you from experience with respect to efforts undertaken by a number of different governments here in Canada to establish the status of alleged Nazi

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Again, I agree with the premise of your observation; namely, that it's a very slippery slope to start attaching motivation and intent to people's actions. All of us here, I think, can contemplate a whole range of scenarios where someone legitimately has to go and set up a home ab

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, I'll share a couple and somebody else will determine how long I can go on.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In 2006 the Lebanese-Israeli conflict became a hot war and some 15,000 Canadian nationals who had naturalized Canadian citizenship—they weren't born in Canada but they had acquired Canadian citizenship—were airlifted out of Lebanon at a cost of almost $100 million. They were Cana

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm a first generation Canadian. My parents were Holocaust survivors who came after the war. It wouldn't take me 30 seconds to demonstrate what attachment to Canada means if you were to look at my parents and the pride and the gratitude that they express in having come to Canada