Ottawa, ON – June 12, 2025 – Today, the Government of Canada voted in favour of a deeply flawed and one-sided UN General Assembly resolution on the Israel-Hamas war.
The resolution makes no demand for Hamas to disarm or be excluded from Gaza’s future. It ignores Israel’s right to self-defence, dismisses its legitimate security concerns, and says nothing of the existential threat posed by a genocidal terrorist group. All of which are core positions of the government.
The government’s vote also marks a significant departure from Canada’s previous position at the UN. In September, Canada abstained on a similar UNGA resolution. Among other key concerns, the government noted that “Canada cannot support a resolution where one party, the state of Israel, is held solely responsible for the conflict.”
“As Canadians, we should always choose moral clarity over conformity. The Government of Canada was right to reject a similarly flawed resolution last September and wrong to betray these important principles in today’s vote,” said Noah Shack, Interim President, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
“Hamas began this painful conflict and continues it, every day, by failing to release hostages and lay down its arms,” Shack added. “Resolutions like this one embolden Hamas and give it hope that it can remain in power. For this reason alone, Canada should have rejected today’s resolution, which undermines efforts to end the tragic reality in Gaza and secure a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.”
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Additional Background
In its decision to abstain on a similar UNGA resolution in September, the government explained:
“Canada cannot support a resolution where one party, the state of Israel, is held solely responsible for the conflict. Canada supports Israel's right to live in peace with its neighbours within secure boundaries and recognizes Israel's right to assure its own security. There is no mention in the resolution of the need to end terrorism, for which Israel has serious and legitimate security concerns."
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