Adrian Wyld The Canadian Press The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, during from a press conference on October 19
While calling for “humanitarian pauses” in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the repercussions in Canada from the war between Israel and Hamas.
“The crisis in the Middle East has stoked fear in our communities,” she said in a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto, Monday.
The head of Canadian diplomacy deplored the “human tragedy” which has struck the Gaza Strip since the surge of “nameless violence” perpetrated by Hamas on the people of Israel on October 7.
< p>The Canadian government is working to facilitate the conclusion of an agreement allowing the delivery of food, water and fuel to the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages in the hands of Hamas — including possibly two Canadians — as well as as the departure of all stranded foreign nationals, including 400 Canadians, who are living in “fear” and “despair.” “We have a duty to bring them back to safety. This is why we need humanitarian pauses, a humanitarian truce, in Gaza,” stressed Ms. Joly.
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“The humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people, Palestinian women and children is disastrous,” argued the liberal elected official, denouncing in passing “the attacks by extremist settlers” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The right to defend oneself”
“Like all states, Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. It has an obligation to do so in accordance with international law. Because even in times of crisis, there are principles. Even in times of war, there are rules,” said Mélanie Joly, returning from a mission that took her from Cairo, Egypt, to Yerevan, Armenia, via Abu Dhabi, Arab Emirates united.
Civilians, Israeli and Palestinian, are “equal” in his eyes.
Mélanie Joly drew the attention of members of the Economic Club of Canada to the “local effect” of “global issues”, such as climate change, which fills the “summer sky with smoke”, global inflation, which “gives the impression that it is increasingly difficult to get by, let alone move forward”, or the crisis in the Middle East…
Canadian contribution
Mélanie Joly said she was convinced, in these times of “global crises” and “deep uncertainty”, that Canada can greatly contribute to building a world “more stable “. To achieve this, Ottawa will conduct “pragmatic diplomacy” consisting of exchanging with both democrats and autocrats – as long as they follow “basic principles” such as “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of others” – and “vigorously defend[s]” its own sovereignty, including its cultural sovereignty as well as the “integrity of its media.”
“With the security of the world at stake, our security at stake , we cannot just rely on our old friends. […] And we will have to reach out to new partners among a broad coalition of States,” explained Mélanie Joly.