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Jagmeet Singh on the latest Israeli "genocide" against Palestinian people
11-17-2023
November 15, 2023 -Speaking with reporters outside a cooperative housing unit in Toronto, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh clarified his position on the latest Israeli "genocide" against Palestinian people
Journalist from Omni Television.
Yesterday, there was a Palestinian protest, protesters chasing the Prime Minister out of a restaurant in Vancouver. And the fact that 100 police officers had to respond with two protesters being arrested, one for assaulting and the other for obstruction. What's your intake on that?
Jagmeet Singh
I missed a bit of the question, but I understand you're asking about the protest towards the Prime Minister around what's going on in Israel and Palestine. So our concern is that, so far the prime minister hasn't taken a position on ceasefire, and the release of hostages, that position.
We've been calling for that for weeks now. We've seen the horror that's going on. We condemn. What's happened by Hamas, the terrorist attack of Hamas. We condemned that unequivocally. I also want to mention we've learned, and I'm really heartbroken about this. We've learned about Vivian Silver, who is a Canadian, a longtime peace advocate and someone who's been an activist for peace.
I met with Vivian Silver's son, and we've heard from both her sons who talked about the need for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. They believed that their mom would be so sad to see the violence that's going on because she was such a peace activist, but we've learned that Vivian silver was now confirmed is now confirmed that she was dead She was killed on October 7th in the first Hamas attack the atrocities committed.
She was killed my heart breaks I met with one of the Sun and I My heart goes out to the family and to all Canadians and to thankfully all people. She was a voice for peace She did so much work towards bringing people together. She would bring people that were sick in Gaza across the border to get help in Israel.
She was an incredible person and my heart is broken. And she is another reason why we need to stop the violence and why Canada has to take a position of a ceasefire and releasing all hostages. So far the Prime Minister hasn't taken that position. Canada has abstained on important votes on a ceasefire with the United Nations.
I believe Canada should take that strong position that we believe in peace, we believe in a ceasefire, and a release of hostages, and we need to do that, and take that voice, and make that stand as clear as possible, as soon as possible.
Follow up Question? They send 100 police officers to deal with two protesters.
Jagmeet Singh
Two protesters? Yeah, they send 100 police officers to deal with them.
Uh, that's, I mean, I don't know the details of that, but if it was only a couple of protesters and hundreds of police, that seems to be a heavy handed response to that. But, I want to be clear, people are frustrated because Canada has not taken that position.
Justin Trudeau has not taken that position of a ceasefire and a release of hostages. I believe Canada should be taking that position. I don't know how you can see what's going on. The horror, the pain, the loss of life, and not... Be a voice for a ceasefire. We of course, condemn Hamas unequivocally and we also say at this point, we need a ceasefire.
A Question from zoom -
Yesterday, the prime minister kind of changed his language towardsIsrael saying that he wanted to see maximum restraint. This must stop the words that he used. He has since been roundly criticized by many Voices in the Israeli and Jewish community, as well as being shouted down in the restaurant by pro Palestinian protesters yesterday.
What do you make of his, this new tone in his comments about maximum restraint?
Jagmeet Singh
Well, what we're seeing in, in Gaza is heartbreaking. I think that anyone who's seen any of the images. hospital being targeted, the violence around the fact that hospitals are targeting the sense that they don't have access to the resources that need to run.
We've got hospitals where the world's health organization is saying that is a humanitarian crisis where there's not the resources, the fuel, the electricity, the medical equipment to provide care to children that are in incubators. I mean, this is heartbreaking to see the images.
And I think we can't turn away from them. They're just, they're haunting to see the violence, the destruction, the lives lost. We, we are unequivocally in our condemnation of the terrorist actions and the terrorist group Hamas, their atrocities should be condemned and have to be condemned. And at the same time, we also are seeing just this, this horrific violence continuing, and we want to see an end.
And, and so I would say to Justin Trudeau, what I said to him in our urgent meeting that I requested, the same thing, Canada needs to take a position in support of a ceasefire and a release of hostages. We've got to support an end to the violence and we've got to see a path towards peace. We believe in a two state solution and we want to see the people of Israel live in peace and security.
We want to see the people of Palestine live in peace and security. And we've got to do our part as a nation. That's long held a reputation for defending peace. Deporting the sanctity of life, we have to take that position again.
Question on Israel and Gaza.
I'm wondering what your reaction is to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling out Trudeau yesterday for, for Trudeau's remarks about maximum restraint.
Jagmeet Singh
Well, I'm not surprised that Netanyahu is concerned about being criticized. This is a leader that has been criticized by the people of Israel soundly is running an extremist government.
The Netanyahu government is an extremist government. This is an extremist himself with very dangerous policies, dangerous to democracy, dangerous to the people of Israel. People in Israel have very actively opposed his agenda, have protested him. And so I'm not surprised that he is responding.
There should obviously be a full respect for international law. And there are deep concerns about that not being followed. And so that's, that's a fair criticism. My concern about Prime Minister Trudeau is that he has not yet taken the position of a ceasefire and a release of hostages that combined position is one that we need to take as a nation.
We play a very significant role in the world. Our voice would have weight, would make a difference if we were to call for that combined position as a nation of a relies of hostages and a ceasefire to stop the violence, to be a voice for peace. That would be something very important. And very significant.
And so far, the prime minister is not taking that stance. And that is something people are critical of. And I understand why.
Melanie Marquis with La Presse.
I'd like to pick up on Mr. Netanyahu's tweet. Now he criticized Mr.Trudeau. What do you think he's trying to do? And what does it say about France and Canada's leeway or wiggle room on this issue?
Jagmeet Singh
We've criticized Netanyahu. It's clear that Netanyahu is even being criticized by his own citizens, the citizens of Israel themselves. Now, he's a leader. Okay. He is extremist who makes extremist statements rather his voluntary extremists as well.
And I think he deserves to be criticized for that.
Now, he reacted to Prime Minister Trudeau's criticism of his action in Gaza, but I'm concerned by Canada's position. Canada must take a position in favor of a ceasefire and the freeing of hostages. To date, the Prime Minister has failed to do that, and I think he must take a firm position. Canada, in the past, was a country with a fine reputation for peace standing up for peace in the world. And we have to take that position again. We have to take a concrete, firm position in support of a ceasefire and the freeing of the hostages.
Follow Up?
At the same time, Mr Singh just recently Canada voted against a UN resolution condemning the settlers in Israel- Israel's occupied territories
Jagmeet Singh
I think sometimes Canada takes the wrong position. There was also a UN notion on the ceasefire and Canada abstained on that important vote.
Once again, I would like to reiterate my unequivocal condemnation.
For the terrorist Actions of Hamas. I condemn terrorism in any form, and I continue to call for Canada to demand a ceasefire on the freeing of the hostages. What we're seeing on our TV sets people being killed, kids, families houses destroyed. This violence really requires Canada to take a to take the right position and that has to be a ceasefire and the freeing of the hostages.
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