A 2024 diplomatic mission to the West Bank has come under renewed scrutiny following revelations that Canadian officials described the controversial visit as “pleasant and friendly,” despite the fallout that cost former Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks her job and eventually her seat in Parliament.Blacklock's Reporter says Saks, who represented York Centre, Ontario — one of Canada’s largest Jewish ridings — faced a wave of criticism after being photographed holding hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a known Holocaust denier. The photo, taken by an official government photographer, was later circulated widely in Canadian media, triggering backlash among Jewish constituents..Internal emails obtained through Access to Information legislation show no diplomat raised concerns about the image.Staff at Global Affairs Canada described the March 12 visit as a diplomatic success, with one email noting the tone was “pleasant and friendly.”The meeting with Abbas and his foreign minister, originally scheduled for brief discussions, ran significantly longer than planned, according to the records.Saks joined Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly on the trip. Thirteen foreign affairs staffers and an unknown number of cabinet aides in the Privy Council Office were aware of the handholding photo, but none commented on its appropriateness..In an April 15 all-candidates debate hosted by B’nai Brith, Saks acknowledged that many Jewish voters in her riding were upset by the image.Asked if she had any regrets during her time in office, Saks replied, “I regret not having more conversations with the Jewish community when I got back from that trip to really unpack the trip in its entirety.”She defended the decision to meet with Palestinian officials, saying that “working with the Palestinian Authority is a key part” of the peace process, even if such dialogue is unpopular. “We may not like them, but as Yitzhak Rabin said, you don’t make peace with your friends,” she said.Conservative challenger Roman Baber, who defeated Saks by 5,792 votes in the April 28 election, dismissed her comments as evasive. “It doesn’t sound like you regret meeting with him at all,” he said. “That was a roundabout way to rationalize what you did.”.Baber accused Abbas of inciting violence and sponsoring terror, citing Abbas’ 2022 claim that Israel committed “50 Holocausts” in Palestinian villages. Global Affairs emails did not mention these comments but noted that Abbas’ son Yasser holds Canadian citizenship.The image sparked further outrage when Senator Leo Housakos condemned Saks during Senate Question Period, saying, “It is not protocol to hold hands.”
