By Canadian Press

Liberal MP slams own government’s ‘bland statements’ on Israel’s far-right crackdown

Apr 5, 2023 | 9:04 AM

OTTAWA — Liberal MP Salma Zahid is criticizing her own government’s response to Israel’s administration amid police violence in Jerusalem.

The Toronto MP says Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly needs to go beyond statements expressing concern.

Zahid said on Twitter Tuesday evening that “Canada cannot stand by and issue bland statements anymore,” and “either we stand for human rights or we don’t.”

The tweet includes a video of Israeli police storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday, as police fired stun grenades at Palestinians who hurled stones and firecrackers.

Zahid says there is a “direct line” between the violence and “provocations” by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is propped up by right-wing parties.

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Joly posted her condemnation of the violence on Twitter this morning, saying that the sanctity and status quo of holy sites must be respected and that Canada must oppose actions that “contribute to a hardening of positions and diminish prospects for peace.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2023.

The Canadian Press