Liberal MP, Palestinian Rep. to Canada Spar Over Indigeneity of Jews in Israel

Liberal member of Parliament Anthony Housefather rises during Question Period, Oct. 7, 2022 in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle

An announcement by Liberal MP Anthony Housefather that he will not back a NDP motion in support of Palestine has led to a war of words between the MP and a high-ranking Palestinian representative.

Mr. Housefather, in a March 10 post on X, said he would “strongly and forcefully oppose” the NDP motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza when Parliament votes on March 18.

If passed, the motion would “reverse 50 years of Canadian foreign policy and unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state thus rewarding Hamas for its pogrom of Oct. 7,” Mr. Housefather said, referring to the date the terrorist group invaded Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds of its citizens.

His social media post brought a swift response from Mona Abuamara, the chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada.

“Unilaterally? As opposed to leaving that decision to the tyrant who has been subjugating the indigenous Palestinian population for decades,” Ms. Abuamara replied in a March 10 post that described Israel as an “oppressor” and “ruthless occupier.”

“International law is not an à la carte menu,” she continued. “Self-determination is an inalienable, non-negotiable, indivisible right. A free Palestine is a non-negotiable right. Israeli occupation MUST go, and Israeli apartheid MUST be dismantled; enough is enough.”

Mr. Housefather was quick to answer.

“Just let it be known that this is how the Palestinian representative in Canada refers to the state of Israel and her refusal to recognize that Jews are also indigenous to this land,” he said in response.

The back-and-forth dialogue on the social media platform comes after the NDP filed a motion last month that calls for an “immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”

Canada is among the 54 United Nations members that have not recognized Palestine as a full-fledged sovereign state. Currently, Ottawa only recognizes the Palestinian territories as entities separate from Israel.

The NDP motion was to be introduced in the House of Commons earlier this month but was put on hold when Parliament adjourned early to show respect for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney who died Feb. 29.

There has been an increased rift between the Liberal caucus on policies toward the region since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel and the subsequent war.

Mr. Housefather is among the Liberal MPs who opposed the government’s move last week to reinstate funding to the U.N. agency set up to deliver aid to Gaza, UNRWA. Global Affairs said the move was due to the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza that is worsening by the hour.”

Canada and its allies had suspended funding to the UNRWA after it came to light that 12 staff members of the U.N. agency were involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have alleged further links between UNRWA and Hamas in recent days. The IDF reported discovery of a tunnel shaft near a UNRWA school leading to an underground passage beneath the agency’s main headquarters. It said the tunnel’s electrical infrastructure was connected to UNRWA’s main headquarters, indicating it supplied electricity to the tunnel with fuel that came from humanitarian aid.

William Crooks and Noé Chartier contributed to this report.