Canada: Let’s Turn the Recognition of Palestine into Concrete Action

Dear Prime Minister,

Nearly one year ago, on September 21, 2025, your government recognized the State of Palestine.

We would like to thank you for the concern you have shown for the Palestinian people by joining friendly nations in imposing trade sanctions on Israeli settlements established on Palestinian land. Unfortunately, despite the importance of this decision, we cannot overlook the fact that the fundamental problem today stems from the Israeli government itself and its genocidal and destructive actions against the Palestinian people.

As citizens of Canada, we would like to express our views on the steps that should follow this important position.

Nearly a year after this recognition, not only has the situation failed to improve, but Israel’s destructive actions have also intensified in the West Bank, where settlement policies, de facto annexation, population displacement, and violence against civilians are spreading at an alarming rate. In Lebanon, the violence of Israeli attacks, the loss of Lebanese lives, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have reached unprecedented levels. This violence continues despite the ceasefires that have been adopted. Words fail to convey the full horror of the situation, which can only truly be understood through visual reporting and the highly detailed analyses provided by international and local organizations working on these issues.

It is therefore imperative that meaningful pressure be exerted on Israel to comply with international law. Many highly credible voices from within Western political systems have proposed very specific measures to break the current impasse.

In their letter published by La Presse on May 15, 2026, nearly 200 former Canadian diplomats stated that “[…] without firm international sanctions, the Israeli government will continue to disregard international law and human rights and pursue its plans to expand settlements.” They proposed specific measures, including ending cooperation agreements with Israel and “announcing Canada’s unequivocal support for the decisions and measures taken by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice concerning allegations of war crimes and acts of genocide in the region, as well as for the implementation of those decisions and measures.” They also proposed “accelerating the Canada Revenue Agency’s efforts to revoke the charitable status of all entities supporting illegal settlements or facilitating the recruitment or financing of the Israel Defense Forces.” Former French and British diplomats have likewise made recommendations along similar lines. (Le Monde, August 22, 2026)

We urge you to listen to these voices and implement specific measures capable of producing concrete results in support of lasting peace.

More specifically, we call upon your government to take the following measures.

1. Clearly define the territory of the recognized Palestinian State to ensure a free, independent and secure Palestine

It is important that Canada recognize a Palestinian State encompassing all Palestinian territories occupied in 1967—namely, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza—in accordance with the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared on July 19, 2024, that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is unlawful and that Israel is under an obligation to bring it to an end. The ambiguity maintained on this issue is a principal cause of the failure of the Oslo peace process.

2. End forms of cooperation with Israel that are incompatible with international law

Canada must remain consistent with its principles and end all forms of cooperation with Israel—whether military, political, economic or social—for as long as Israel refuses to comply with the requirements of international law, and in particular for as long as it continues its settlement activities and continues to bomb civilian populations and infrastructure throughout the region at will.

3. Unequivocally support international justice, act on its legal and political consequences, and support all UN resolutions

Canada must unequivocally support the independence of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, as well as their decisions, and must commit to implementing the obligations arising from them. Respect for international law cannot be selective: the principles Canada invokes elsewhere must also apply to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. At stake are not only the rights of the Palestinian people, but also the credibility of the rules-based international order that Canada has pledged to uphold.

We are, however, fully aware of the constraints you face. Canada cannot, on its own, bring an end to the catastrophic situation in the region. We believe that only an international coalition of European partners and other countries around the world could provide an effective counterweight to Israel and its allies, whose actions demonstrate that Israel will not voluntarily comply with the requirements of international law. Canada’s international reputation as a country committed to the rule of law, peace and justice could enable it to take a leading role in building such a coalition.

The recognition of the State of Palestine must therefore be accompanied by concrete measures capable of making that recognition effective in practice. What we are asking for represents a minimum starting point from which meaningful action must begin.

We are also aware that Israeli policies receive support from various official and unofficial lobbying groups in Canada. However, the great majority of Canadians, including many members of the Jewish community, are outraged by Israel’s genocidal policies and would support stronger Canadian policies on this issue.

Given the seriousness and urgency of the situation, we would be grateful if you would inform us of your government’s position on the concrete measures proposed in this letter, as well as the actions it intends to take to give meaningful effect to Canada’s recognition of the State of Palestine as an independent, free and secure country.