Charlottetown MP Sean Casey joins calls for ceasefire in Gaza
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Sean Casey is the most recent member of Parliament to assist requires a direct ceasefire in Gaza.
In an interview with SaltWire, the Charlottetown MP mentioned he helps requires the ceasefire, echoing a public letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed by 33 different members of Parliament.
That Oct. 20 letter, signed by 23 members of Casey’s Liberal caucus, eight NDP MPs and two Inexperienced MPs, additionally condemned the Oct. 7 killings of Israeli civilians by Hamas and known as for the discharge of the greater than 200 hostages kidnapped by the group.
The Canadian authorities has not known as for a ceasefire in Gaza.
As chair of the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship, I labored with vice-chairs @alexboulerice and @ElizabethMay to ship a letter from 33 MPs to the Prime Minister demanding Canada assist a stop fireplace to save lots of harmless civilian lives in Gaza and ship humanitarian support. pic.twitter.com/8bgeKe5Siv
— Salma Zahid (@SalmaZahid15) October 20, 2023
Casey mentioned he’s happy with the Canadian authorities’s dedication of $60 million in humanitarian support to Gaza. However he believes his personal authorities ought to go “one step additional” and {that a} ceasefire can be “according to worldwide legislation.”
“Many harmless Palestinian lives have been taken within the battle that ensued on account of the Hamas provocation,” Casey informed SaltWire by telephone on Oct. 31. “My view is that there’s nothing extra vital than the safety of civilians.”
“My view is that there’s nothing extra vital than the safety of civilians.” – Charlottetown MP Sean Casey
The Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants resulted within the killing of 1,200 Israelis. Greater than 220 hostages have been additionally kidnapped by Hamas. 5 have since been launched.
Subsequent aerial assaults by Israel have resulted within the loss of life of 9,061 Palestinians together with greater than 3,700 kids, in line with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. Greater than 1.4 million Gazans have been displaced.
Overseas Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has as a substitute known as for “humanitarian pauses” – momentary cessations within the combating that might permit support to move into Gaza and that might permit Canadian nationals to go away the area.
Justin Trudeau has mentioned Israel has a proper to defend itself after the Oct. 7 Hamas assaults however informed reporters on Nov. 1 that “the worth of justice can’t be the continued struggling of all Palestinian civilians.”
When requested if he believes Israel is respecting worldwide legislation, Casey mentioned he believed “there have been violations of worldwide legislation.”
“Fairly frankly, if there’s even any doubt that there was a violation of worldwide legislation, a ceasefire is the best option to go. We must always err on the facet of saving folks,” Casey mentioned.
Disagreement
In an electronic mail to SaltWire, Leo Mednick, president of the P.E.I. Jewish Group, disagreed with requires a ceasefire.
He mentioned the state of affairs within the Center East is sophisticated and that there’s “no proper reply.”
“Sean Casey’s assertion is affordable nevertheless it’s not an excellent time for a ceasefire, not less than not till all of the hostages are launched,” Mednick mentioned in an electronic mail. “Even then, Hamas has confirmed itself to not be a companion for peace in that area.”
The United Nations said the Oct. 7 assaults by Hamas militants, which concerned the indiscriminate killing of a whole lot of civilians, together with kids, was a criminal offense beneath worldwide legislation.
Hamas has been the governing authority within the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Mednick mentioned he believes Israel is making an attempt to attenuate civilian casualties in Gaza. He additionally mentioned he’s saddened by the deaths of civilians within the battle.
However he mentioned he doesn’t consider Gaza can perform as an impartial state and not using a peaceable relationship with Israel.
“The folks of Gaza want to ascertain peaceable relations with Israel. That needs to be executed with out Hamas,” Mednick mentioned.
Humanitarian want
The continuing conflict has prompted the Muslim Society of P.E.I., together with the Island Peace Committee, to arrange a peace vigil this weekend in Charlottetown.
The vigil will happen at 2 p.m. on the cenotaph on Grafton St. on Saturday, Nov. 4.
Zain Esseghaier of the Muslim Society of P.E.I. known as the state of affairs in Gaza a “humanitarian disaster.”
A press assertion from the society mentioned the collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza “may be described as tantamount to a declared genocide.”
“We hope the vigil will increase consciousness of the struggling confronted by the Palestinians — hundreds of individuals killed, hundreds of kids killed,” Esseghaier mentioned.
Esseghaier mentioned the Muslim Society is looking for an “speedy and indeterminate” ceasefire within the area.
“Hopefully, the ceasefire would open the door to diplomacy,” he mentioned.
Esseghaier mentioned Saturday’s vigil is meant to permit folks to hope for all victims of the battle, no matter their ethnicity.
He additionally mentioned the foundation of the Gaza battle predates the Oct. 7 assaults.
Gaza’s inhabitants of greater than two million folks is usually descendants of refugees who have been displaced throughout the 1947-49 battle.
Palestinians in Gaza have been dwelling beneath an Israeli-imposed blockade since 2007.
In a 2022 report, Amnesty Worldwide wrote that this blockade has “debilitated” the financial system and well being techniques of Gaza, “leaving the world in a state of perpetual humanitarian disaster.”
Esseghaier famous Gaza is also known as “the world’s largest open-air prison.”
“If you happen to actually wish to clear up the issue, it’s a must to take a look at human rights and equal rights from the river to the ocean; from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea,” Esseghaier mentioned.
Stu Neatby is a political reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @stu_neatby.
