Excerpt

Canada has supported Israel’s right to exist since its creation by UN General Assembly Resolution 181 in 1947. In 1949, Canada voted in favour of UN General Assembly resolution 273, supporting Israel’s entry into the United Nations Canada has always recognized Israel’s right to defend itself, including its right to take proportionate measures under international law. Since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza, we have made it clear that we would not recognize permanent Israeli control of the territories it occupied or that it had a right to build settlements in the West Bank and Gaza in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. On May 21, 1968, Canada supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 252, opposing Israel’s unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem, whose ultimate status was, in our view, to be determined by a comprehensive peace settlement. Over time, we came to support the creation of a sovereign independent Palestinian state. We continue to support a two-state solution.