Members of a Canadian delegation, who were refused entry to the West Bank recently, are urging the Canadian government to strengthen sanctions against new Israeli settlements in occupied territories. The delegation, which included six Canadian MPs aiming to meet with displaced Palestinians, was denied access at the Allenby border crossing on December 16.
During the encounter, witnesses reported that Ontario MP Iqra Khalid was pushed by an Israeli border guard. Representatives of the delegation, including members of Canadian-Muslim Vote, Justice for All Canada, and the National Council of Canadian Muslims, are urging Ottawa to prohibit the import of goods from the occupied West Bank and prevent Canadians from purchasing property in those settlement areas.
Their call comes in response to the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of 19 new settlements in parts of the West Bank under military occupation, a move that Canada and its allies have condemned. The groups are engaged in discussions with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office regarding the incident on December 16 but have not yet had a formal meeting with the minister.