Palestinian envoy urges Canada to increase consistency in Middle East policy

Feda Abdelhady, the new Palestinian ambassador to Canada, has described Canada’s recognition of the State of Palestine as “pivotal” for upholding international law. In her first major interview since arriving in Ottawa, Abdelhady urged the Canadian government to provide more consistency and coherence in its policies regarding Israel and Palestine to help end the occupation.

Canada officially recognized the State of Palestine nearly a year ago under Prime Minister Mark Carney, a move intended to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. While a ceasefire deal in Gaza has marginally reduced daily violence and mitigated famine risks, the United Nations reports a dire humanitarian situation, particularly for children.

Abdelhady’s comments come amid reports of increased extremist settler violence in the West Bank and concerns regarding Israeli policies. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand previously warned that certain Israeli enactments systematically target Palestinians, leading the Liberal government to sanction some violent settlers.