(MENAFN) On Monday, lawmakers in Canada passed a motion aimed at fostering a "just and lasting peace," with the ultimate goal of incorporating a Palestinian state, alongside efforts from international partners. Originally put forward in the House of Commons by the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), the motion initially pushed for Canada to formally recognize the "State of Palestine."
However, facing evident resistance, the NDP opted to modify the motion, eventually aligning it with Canada's official stance supporting a two-state solution. Despite being diluted from its original intent, the amended motion also included additional measures such as advocating for a weapons embargo on sales to Israel, an immediate cease-fire, and imposing sanctions on settlers in the West Bank.
The ensuing debate, which extended late into the evening, culminated in a non-binding resolution. Although the final resolution fell short of the NDP's initial proposal, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), an organization firmly advocating for Palestinian interests, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. The NCCM lauded the resolution as a "historic change for Canada" in a statement posted on X.
“While we recognize that some would have liked the original motion to stay fully together, we believe that the NDP did the right thing by tabling the original motion and pushing to make sure that Canada voted in favor of Palestine today. That is history,” it stated.
The vote result of 204-117 underscored the significant division within the government regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, which commenced on October 7th of the preceding year.
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