A Canadian delegation, including six MPs, was recently denied entry into the West Bank and is urging Ottawa to implement stricter sanctions against new Israeli settlements in occupied territories. The incident occurred on December 16 at the Allenby border crossing, where the group intended to meet with displaced Palestinians but was turned away.
During the encounter, witnesses reported that Ontario MP Iqra Khalid was pushed by an Israeli border guard. Representatives from the delegation, which included members of Canadian-Muslim Vote, Justice for All Canada, and the National Council of Canadian Muslims, are advocating for a ban on the import of goods produced in the occupied West Bank and a restriction on Canadians purchasing property in settlement areas.
Their call for action comes in response to Israel’s security cabinet approving 19 new settlements in parts of the West Bank under military control, a decision that Canada and its allies have criticized. Discussions are ongoing with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office regarding the events of December 16, although a formal meeting with the minister has not yet taken place.