A Canadian advocacy organization is urging lawmakers in Ottawa to officially label Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip as genocide. Justice for All Canada is calling on Members of Parliament to pass a motion recognizing the situation in Gaza as genocide, emphasizing the need for action and accountability.
During a media event in Ottawa, Ahmed Ramadan, the advocacy and government relations officer for Justice for All Canada, highlighted the importance of declaring genocide to uphold Canada’s commitment to international law. The group’s motion references a statement from the International Court of Justice in January 2024 that suggested Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide under the UN’s Genocide Convention.
Various individuals and organizations, including Canadian ex-diplomats, international law experts, and human rights groups like Amnesty International and Médecins sans Frontières, have already characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide. This push for recognition coincides with Canada’s planned acknowledgment of a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
While some Members of Parliament have publicly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, others, like the Conservative Party, have maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself against groups like Hamas. The NDP has officially labeled Israel’s actions as genocide, while the Bloc Québécois has not taken a definitive stance on the matter.
Justice for All Canada believes that formally recognizing genocide would impose legal obligations on Canada, potentially affecting arms exports to Israel. Despite Global Affairs halting arms permits to Israel since January 2024, activist groups have uncovered continued shipments of military-related goods to Israel. In response to these concerns, NDP MP Jenny Kwan intends to introduce legislation addressing loopholes in Canada’s arms export laws in the upcoming parliamentary session.
