NDP pushing Liberals to recognize state of Palestine as U.K., U.S. signal openness

New Democrats are calling on the Liberal government to have Canada formally recognize Palestine as a state, saying it would help advance peace in the Middle East.

«It's time for Canada to do more, to build a peaceful resolution for the people of Palestine and the people of Israel,» NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said Tuesday.

McPherson will table a private member's motion in the House of Commons that would recognize Palestinian territories as a sovereign state.

The motion should appear in parliamentary documents Wednesday but is unlikely to come up for a vote anytime soon. Still, McPherson is asking MPs to endorse it and pressure the federal government to follow through.

The British and U.S. governments both have recently said they're considering fully recognizing Palestine once the Israel-Hamas war ends, she noted.

The Opposition Conservatives did not respond right away when asked if they would endorse the motion, while Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly's office did not directly answer the question.

«Canada believes that the only way to achieve the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East is in the form of a two-state solution, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security,» wrote Joly's spokesperson Isabella Orozco-Madison.

McPherson announced her motion on Parliament Hill, flanked by a handful of fellow caucus members. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was not present, though his office said he and all caucus members support the motion.

For decades, the Canadian government has endorsed the eventual creation of a Palestinian country that exists in peace alongside Israel — the essence of what's known as the two-state solution.

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