Open Letter to Prime Minister of Canada by Retired Canadian Diplomats
On June 1,
fifty-nine former Canadian diplomats signed an
open letter urging Prime Minister Trudeau to
affirm Canada's commitment to multilateralism and
the rule of law and oppose Israel's announced plan
of annexation of currently occupied Palestinian
territory.
Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,
We are writing to you as retired Canadian
diplomats, proud of Canada's historical commitment
to multilateral institutions and its reputation
for supporting the rule of law.
As you know, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has announced publicly his intention to
"annex" in the coming weeks a significant amount
of land that Canada, and the international
community, recognize as occupied Palestinian
Territory.
The unilateral annexation of territory is
strictly prohibited under international law. This
is a centrepiece of the Charter of the United
Nations, San Francisco, June 26, 1945, and has
been consolidated by treaties and resolutions,
judicial rulings and scholarly writings ever
since.
Indeed, this prohibition has acquired the status
of a jus cogens
norm in international law, meaning that it is
accepted as a fundamental principle of law by the
international community.
Territorial conquest and annexation are notorious
for contributing to fateful results: war,
political instability, economic ruin, systematic
discrimination and human suffering.
Speaking specifically to the five-decade-long
Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the
UN Security Council has affirmed, on eight
occasions since 1967, the principle of "the
inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory"
by war or force. This principle was cited by the
council to condemn as unlawful Israel's two prior
annexations of East Jerusalem, in 1980, and the
Syrian Golan Heights in 1981.
We would like to urge you to publicly acknowledge
Canada's commitment to multilateralism and the
rule of law by issuing a statement that Canada
reaffirms its position in support of all relevant
UN resolutions, including UNSC resolution 2334,
which was adopted on December 23, 2016.
As you are no doubt aware, many of our allies
have already spoken out opposing the Israeli
proposal. Significant Canadian civil society
organizations, including some Christian churches
and Jewish organizations, have also urged Canada
to take a similar stand.
As former Canadian diplomats, we urge you to
protect Canada's good name in the international
community by speaking loudly and clearly on this
issue.
For signatories click
here.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 24 - July 4, 2020
Article Link:
Open Letter to Prime Minister of Canada by Retired Canadian Diplomats
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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