MP Mathyssen Speaks at Emergency Debate Regarding the Crisis in Lebanon

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona for bringing this emergency debate forward tonight. She has been an incredible advocate and fighter for so many people who need a voice in this place. I am so grateful for her advocacy every single day.

I want to acknowledge the extremely disturbing and unacceptable recent attack in my community that targeted Muslim women who were wearing hijabs in front of their children and family members. I continuously want to say that I cannot believe this happened in my hometown, the place I grew up in, but I cannot say that anymore. This level of hatred has reared its ugly head in my hometown far too often.

Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate are on the rise across our country. Londoners have endured so much. They saw the tragic killing of our London family. They have watched their family members being killed in Israel, Sudan, Gaza and now in Lebanon. We all need to recognize how our the words we say in this place on what is happening in the Middle East can turn to horrible acts at home. The vilification of Muslims, Palestinians and Jewish people is fuelling the rise of hate and the dehumanization of our fellow Canadians. They need all parties in this place to come together and fight for justice and peace in the Middle East.

Almost a full year ago, the NDP fought for a ceasefire. We called for the release of the hostages, a de-escalation and the protection of innocent civilians from Israel's siege on Gaza. The Palestinian community was repeatedly told that this would be a short incursion to defeat Hamas, but nearly one year later those bombings have only increased. We have seen over 40,000 Palestinians killed, including many children. We have seen the indiscriminate bombing of Palestinian schools and hospitals. We have witnessed the occurrence of war crimes. We have watched in horror as a short incursion turned into a genocide.

Now there is a ground incursion into Lebanon. Lebanon has already suffered the deadliest day of war since 2006, with hundreds of rockets attacking it. Lebanese Canadians are worried sick for their loved ones, many of whom are trapped or fleeing their homes and are seeing the communities they love destroyed. My constituents have directly told me again and again that they do not want war, that the people of Lebanon deserve to live in peace and to rebuild their country.

As the member for Edmonton Strathcona stated, which I think bears repeating, tonight we are here to speak to the crisis in Lebanon, but only hours ago, Iran launched missiles at Israel, further escalating this global crisis and threatening more civilians. We unequivocally condemn this. Civilians in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region are paying for our political failures. She said this very clearly. We have seen an escalation of violence because we have not held up a universal standard of international law. We have tolerated the erosion of the rules-based international order.

Lebanese Canadians deserve the full protection of our government. The Minister of Defence said that he is not confident the Canadian Armed Forces could do mass evacuations of Lebanese Canadians. This is unacceptable. These Canadians are fleeing an invasion by a country Canada describes as an ally. There have already been reports of Canadians dying in Lebanon, and the government is still not coordinating a military evacuation. It is shameful that these Canadians are being told to evacuate by commercial flights on their own dime.

Lebanese Canadians are worried about getting their loved ones back after seeing how the Liberals have handled the special measures immigration program for Palestinians. A recent report by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East shows that the temporary resident visa program for Gazans was intended to fail. Despite increasing the shameful racist and arbitrary cap from 1,000 to 5,000, no one has been able to come to Canada. Palestinians who have been able to arrive have done so on their own with no help from the government.

Let me be clear. Canada can stand up for Lebanese Canadians and their loved ones, can stand up for international law and can stand up to Israel's horrific war crimes, but the government lacks the courage to do so. This is something I have heard repeatedly from my constituents. They have a continual disappointment in the Liberal government.

The Canadian Armed Forces has a presence in the region. It is stationed. It could be called upon to assist in the evacuation of Lebanese Canadians. We can stand up to Netanyahu's extremist government, clearly stating that we will not diplomatically support Israel's ongoing genocide and will not support its invasion and bombing of Lebanon, and we can sanction its war cabinet. We can stand up to the Israel Defense Forces by implementing an immediate arms embargo on Israel. We can stand up to the United States, making it clear that we will review the U.S.-Canada defence production sharing agreement and not allow Canadian-made arms to be used in war crimes by Israel. However, the government refuses to do so.

Today, we need to call on all parties to recognize an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. The war between the extremist Netanyahu regime and Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, has led to 1,000 deaths, 6,000 wounded and more than one million displaced in Lebanon. War crimes must not beget war crimes. We need to stand up for Lebanese civilians who do not want to see their country face another war. They have struggled for so many years to rebuild their country, to rebuild their systems and to rebuild their infrastructure. Lebanon is already facing the worst economic crisis in history, endured because of the largest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded. Lebanon needs our support.

The Government of Canada must work with the international community to ensure that UN resolution 1701 is implemented in Lebanon in full and immediately. We need to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon are respected. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has clearly stated that “any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity” and is a violation of resolution 1701. It urges “all actors to step back from such escalatory acts which will only lead to more violence and more bloodshed”. The price of continuing the current course of action is too high. Civilians have to be protected, civilian infrastructure must not be targeted and international law has to be respected.

I cannot imagine what it must be like for someone to watch news reports of their country of birth being bombed, to see their home destroyed, a home they had grown up in, and to see all the memories wiped away. Staff in my offices are impacted by this. Staff here in this place are impacted. They do not know where their loved ones are. They cannot get a hold of them. I cannot imagine that terror and witnessing friends displaced and desperate. They are literally holding their breath in fear, hoping desperately they will not get bad news.

To all of those people, I am so sorry that Canada is not the strength that it needs to be. These people, who have given so much to this institution, to the work that we are supposed to go forward with, cannot rely upon this country, where they have made their home, for the support they need for the family members, friends and neighbours still there. I have held countless constituents while they cry about this.

However, I say that we can stand up, that Canada can be a force for peace. We can be. I ask this place to do that, for my constituents and for all Lebanese Canadians, Israeli Canadians and Palestinian Canadians. We need to do better.