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A general view picture shows houses in the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Feb. 15, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Ammar Awad / File.
An open letter by a group of retired Canadian diplomats calling on their government to oppose an Israeli plan to annex the West Bank met with a sharp response on Friday from a leading Jewish organization.
“We are disgusted with the blatant hypocrisy and double standards of the international community constantly directed against Israel. This letter is just the latest example of it,” Michael Mostyn — chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada — said in a statement. “The status of the territories in question is a subject of major debate in international law, and Israel’s claims are no less legitimate than anyone else’s.”
Mostyn was referring to the letter sent on Monday to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by 58 former Canadian diplomats and politicians calling on him to challenge the Israeli government.
“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 letter to Trudeau stated.
“Territorial conquest and annexation are notorious for contributing to fateful results: war, political instability, economic ruin, systematic discrimination and human suffering,” the group warned.
Mostyn observed that the letter made no mention of the fact that the “internationally accepted bedrock of all Middle East peacemaking has long been UN Resolutions 242 and 338, which call for negotiations to achieve a just and durable peace.”
Mostyn underlined that Israel had not yet formally presented its position on the future status of the West Bank, accusing the diplomats of rushing to condemn the Jewish state.
“Reasonable Canadian diplomats, retired or otherwise, should have the patience and common sense to await the details of the coming Israeli plan before prematurely attacking and condemning it,” he said. “This letter has revealed their prejudice and bias — both of which should be remembered when weighing their opinions in the future.”