This government is revolting

[Sid Shniad]

https://archive.li/R68x3

Globe and Mail                                                                                                                                                         September 19, 2025

Canada will withhold normalization of relations with Palestine until conditions met, Anand says

Steven Chase

Senior parliamentary reporter

Mexico City

A tent camp abandoned by displaced Palestinians who dismantled their tents to flee Gaza City, on Friday. EBRAHIM HAJJAJ/Reuters

Canada, which is preparing shortly to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, will nevertheless withhold full normalization of relations until the territory’s leadership delivers on commitments they made, including releasing Israeli hostages, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said.

Speaking to reporters Friday during a visit with Prime Minister Mark Carney to Mexico, Ms. Anand said she intended to speak the same day with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas to drive home this point.

She said Canada’s conditions include Hamas laying down its weapons, the return of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, for Hamas to have no role in the future governance of Palestine and for there to be democratic reforms in the territory. The Canadian government considers Hamas a terrorist organization.

Ms. Anand said Canada has long supported a two-state solution to resolve conflict between Israel and Palestinians, and that recognizing Palestine’s sovereignty now is important because a window for that outcome might otherwise close.

“In order for this two-state solution to be viable, given what is happening in Gaza, recognition now is extremely important and necessary, because the viability of a two-state solution is eroding.”

Israel, which has come under strong international condemnation for the way it’s prosecuting the war in Gaza, is currently pressing ahead with an assault on Gaza City.

Canada’s plan to follow several other countries in recognizing Palestine as a state has angered the Israeli government.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the process of normalization involves increases in diplomatic relationships, opening embassies and opening consulates. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Ms. Anand said recognition and normalization of diplomatic relations are two different things, the latter being a step-by-step process.

“Recognition is binary. You either recognize or you do not,” the minister said.

“Normalization is a process, and the process of normalization involves increases in diplomatic relationships. It involves opening embassies. It involves opening consulates. It involves ensuring that there are processes for transfer of citizens between the two states at issue.”

Ms. Anand said normalized relations are completely discretionary. “Canada will retain discretion, as will all other states that we are working with – the U.K., France and Australia – we are having deep conversations about these issues with them,” she said.

“The discretion rests with Canada and until we see greater reforms from the Palestinian Authority.”

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office Friday said Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend the United Nations General Assembly next week and reconfirmed Canada’s plan to formally recognize the state of Palestine. The PMO added, however, that this step is “predicated on progress on key reform commitments and advanced alongside several international partners.”

The statement added that Mr. Carney, “in response to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East,” will “stress the urgent need to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians, immediately release all hostages held by Hamas, and ensure progress toward a just and lasting peace.”

Hamas, the militant group administering Gaza, triggered the war when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli figures.

In almost two years of fighting, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and demolished most of the structures in the tiny enclave, which is now gripped by hunger and even famine.

Israel says the extent of hunger has been exaggerated and that Hamas could end the war at once if it surrendered, freed the hostages, disarmed and disbanded.

Hamas says it will not disarm until a Palestinian state is established. Numerous attempts to mediate an end to the conflict have failed.

With files from Reuters