We are social democrats, progressives and in many cases, members of the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP). We live in many different parts of Canada and hail from diverse milieus. We are friends of Israel who believe in social justice, democracy, peace and the rule of law, both in Canada and in Israel. 

We support the official NDP policy on Middle East peace, which states that the NDP will:

Work with partners for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine, within a framework of respect for UN resolutions and international law. This means recognition of the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peaceful co-existence in viable, independent states with negotiated, agreed-upon borders; no settlements remaining in the Palestinian state; an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian land; an end to loss of life of innocent civilians; and an international peacekeeping presence.

We believe that the NDP’s official position on the Middle East is pragmatic and just.

We believe in the two-State solution based on the June 1967 borders – two states for two peoples– with Israel as the national home of the Jewish people and Palestine as the nation state of the Palestinian people.  We share this belief with the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians.

We believe that the situation in the Middle East is NOT a zero-sum game. We believe that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace side by side.

We believe that one can be both a strong supporter of the Jewish State of Israel AND of the Palestinians and their desire to live in an independent, viable and democratic state.

We believe that radical elements of Canada’s progressive movement have recently taken extremist positions on the conflict in the Middle East, which has led to an unbalanced dialogue.  These elements have led to a virulent anti-Israel sentiment in Canada’s progressive movement, to the detriment of it being a viable force for peace.  As a result, the NDP’s Middle East policy has been polluted, and its credibility on the issue has been diminished.

We are asking all NDP members, friends, supporters, and progressives to join us in bringing balance back to the debate on the Middle East. Our voices have been marginalized for decades and we are calling on all members and supporters of the NDP to join us, to ensure that the NDP stay relevant in this debate in Canada, and to make the important voice of the Canadian Left trustworthy to every stakeholder in the pursuit of peace between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East.