Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali accepted more than $3,100 in sponsored travel from a Muslim advocacy group for a visit to Jerusalem, where he was photographed praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and voiced criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, according to new disclosures filed with the federal Ethics Commissioner.Blacklock's Reporter says the January 2024 trip, valued at $3,148, was paid for by Canadian Muslim Vote, a group that also sponsored Liberal MP Salma Zahid and New Democrat MP Heather McPherson. Ali described the trip as a fact-finding mission to better understand the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians.In his ethics filing, Ali said the visit was aimed at helping MPs and civil society groups “witness the dire situation Palestinians are living through.” During the tour, he visited a Palestinian refugee family, a soup kitchen, and the Aida Youth Centre in the Aida Refugee Camp.Ali shared his experiences on social media, writing, “I visited the Al-Aqsa compound and prayed for all those suffering.” He added that the group looked forward to sharing their insights with fellow MPs during a national Liberal caucus retreat.Testifying before the Commons immigration committee in 2024, Ali said the delegation heard “stories on the ground of what the people are going through” in Palestine. He later condemned the Israeli military actions in Gaza, calling them “the tragedy of the century” and criticized the Conservative Party for what he described as a lack of support for a ceasefire.In a July 19 letter to constituents, Ali recounted witnessing the “daily abuse, humiliation and harassment of Palestinians,” and asserted that Jews “cannot be permitted to prevent Palestinians from exercising their right to self-determination.”Ali also led a petition urging universities to support anti-Israel protestors, writing that “dehumanization and vilification of the Palestinian people and stigmatization of those advocating for their legitimate aspirations are commonplace.”Ali, a former real estate agent from Brampton, Ontario, was appointed Treasury Board President on May 13, becoming the eighth person to hold the position since 2019.
