New Democrat MP Alexandre Boulerice, the party’s only representative east of Ontario, has sponsored a parliamentary petition calling for Canada to suspend all trade with Israel and impose severe sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.
Blacklock's Reporter says Petition E-5300 demands that Parliament “officially recognize Israel’s war crimes,” “recognize the state of Palestine,” and end the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership.
Boulerice (Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Que.) has been an outspoken critic of Israel. After visiting the West Bank, he described the experience as “unsettling” and likened it to witnessing “a military boot crushing a human face.”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Boulerice said, “I think we need to take action.”
The petition, which has garnered 557 signatures so far, is modest by parliamentary standards. For comparison, a petition by Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri calling for a general election drew nearly 388,000 signatures, while a Liberal-sponsored petition on sterilizing feral cats received 593.
Boulerice’s stance aligns with New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh’s comments shortly after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, in which over 1,400 Israelis were killed, including eight Canadians.
Singh accused the Netanyahu government of genocide, stating, “We cannot allow for the continuing dehumanization of an entire population.”
Singh’s remarks were met with sharp criticism from across the political spectrum.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather questioned Singh’s use of the term “genocide,” while Conservative MP Marty Morantz called for “moral clarity,” emphasizing the brutal nature of the Hamas attacks.
“Would any country de-escalate after having its people slaughtered in cold blood?” Morantz asked.
Bloc Québécois MP René Villemure echoed condemnation of Hamas, calling the group “evil” and agreeing that its goal is the “annihilation of Israel.”
Canada’s trade with Israel amounts to $2.5 billion annually under a free trade agreement that has been in place since 1997. The Canada Pension Plan also holds $211 million in investments in Israeli companies.
