National

Canada abstains from UN motion calling on Israel to end occupation of Gaza, West Bank

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Sep, 2024 04:07 PM

Canada abstained today from a high-profile United Nations vote demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank within a year.

Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, told the assembly the motion was too one-sided to support, though he said Ottawa agrees that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian territories.

This morning's non-binding vote passed 124-14, and Canada was among 43 abstentions.

The State of Palestine brought the motion to the UN General Assembly, and Israel says the vote amounts to "diplomatic terrorism."

The resolution is based on a July ruling by the International Court of Justice, which condemned Israel’s rule over lands it captured in 1967 by force, saying this violates international laws.

Last December, Canada stopped its decade-long policy of backing Israel in almost any United Nations vote over concerns about the lack of progress toward a humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Students, recent immigrants hit hard by weakening job market, StatCan data suggests

Students who have been hunting for a summer job and recent immigrants looking for work have felt the brunt of the country's weakening labour market, Statistics Canada's latest employment report shows. The federal agency’s July labour force survey released on Friday says the overall jobless rate held steady at 6.4 per cent last month as the economy shed a modest 2,800 jobs.

Students, recent immigrants hit hard by weakening job market, StatCan data suggests

Woman from United States dead after highway crash in southeastern B.C.

Police in southeastern British Columbia say one person is dead after a highway crash just outside the community of Field, B.C., near the Alberta boundary. RCMP say the two-vehicle crash on Thursday involved a pick-up truck carrying two people from the United States and a minivan with three people from Alberta.

Woman from United States dead after highway crash in southeastern B.C.

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs

The owner of a commercial halibut vessel in British Columbia has received more than $33,000 in fines for fishing in a marine protected area containing glass sponge reefs unique to the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a provincial court judge handed down the fine in May to Brent Belveal, who pleaded guilty to offences under the Fisheries Act.

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs

Canada and Australia's defence ministers meet on co-operation

Defence Minster Bill Blair and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles announced an agreement to bolster their countries' relationships, along with their collective ability to respond to everything from global challenges to malicious cyber threats.

Canada and Australia's defence ministers meet on co-operation

Ottawa calls $8-million price tag for animal captivity bill speculative, premature

The estimated costs are largely associated with building and administering a new data system to keep track of the animals. Right now, there are 23 elephants and about 30 gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. The federal government called the conclusion speculative, noting it is based on legislation that hasn't even passed yet.

Ottawa calls $8-million price tag for animal captivity bill speculative, premature

Fight brewing at CRTC over first Online News Act payment by Google

A new fight is playing out at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission over the first $100-million annual payment Google agreed to pay Canadian news outlets. The Canadian Journalism Collective, the group tasked by Google to distribute the money to news outlets, has submitted plans for its governance structure to the CRTC.