Canada House Speaker warns MP over pro-Palestine pin, not Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen + Agencies
Today 13:22

MP Heather McPherson pointed out the Speaker's double standards by wearing a Ukrainian pin.

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NDP MP Heather McPherson asks a question during the question period in the House of Commons, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, on June 6, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Canada's Speaker of the House, Greg Fergus, issued a warning to MP Heather McPherson for wearing a pro-Palestine watermelon pin while advocating for a complete arms embargo on "Israel" amid its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

McPherson pointed out the Speaker's double standards, saying a number of MPs are wearing pins to advocate different causes and were not called out for them. She further challenged Fergus' inconsistency and highlighted anti-Palestinian racism, when her microphone was turned off.

She also said she would wear a Ukrainian pin the next day, wondering whether her pin would still be called a "prop".

Canda's speaker of the House warned MP Heather McPherson against wearing a pro-Palestine watermelon pin, while she was calling for arms embargo on Israel.

McPherson highlighted the speaker's hypocrisy by wearing a Ukrainian pin next day. Her microphone was turned off when she… pic.twitter.com/DiVwU7p717
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) November 20, 2024

Canada's complicity with "Israel" in the genocide in Gaza, including through diplomatic support, has been highlighted on several occasions, including through protests targeting weapons firms that deal with the Israeli occupation.

A couple of days earlier, protesters organized a sit-in outside the Collins Aerospace factory in Oakville, Ontario, demanding that the company cease selling weapons components for military aircraft destined for the Israeli occupation, Press TV reported.

According to activist statements, the protesters blocked the morning shift staff from entering the facility.

The demonstrators called on the Canadian government to implement a comprehensive arms embargo on "Israel", while also urging Collins Aerospace to stop supplying components for fighter jets and attack helicopters used in the occupied territories.

Rabbi David Mivasair, a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada and an attendee of the protest, emphasized that "the weapons being manufactured here at Collins Aerospace are directly used in the mass killing of Palestinians, violating the very values of humanity and dignity our tradition upholds.”

“By profiting from this violence, Canada betrays its moral and legal obligations,” he pointed out.

“While my family members in Gaza have been killed and continue to be terrorized by Israel’s nonstop bombing attacks, I am sickened to know that parts of these same bomber planes are being made right here at Collins Aerospace’s factory in Oakville, where I live," Dalia F., a Palestinian resident of Oakville, was quoted as saying.

The protest was coordinated by Oakville for Palestine, Labour For Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement Toronto, and World BEYOND War.

Canada suspends 30 arms export permits to 'Israel'

In September, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Canada suspended approximately 30 arms export permits to "Israel", including a notable action against a US company’s Canadian subsidiary deal with the US government.

These permits, approved before the January ban on new sales of weapons potentially used in Gaza, are part of Canada’s response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

Joly stated that she had ordered a review of all Canadian arms supplier contracts with "Israel" and other countries. Following this review, she suspended the 30 permits this summer.

This move follows Canada’s initial decision in January to halt new arms shipments to "Israel", a step that drew criticism from Israeli leaders, particularly in light of Canada’s status as a key US ally that provides "Israel" with billions in military aid annually.

Pro-Palestinian protests have continued to exert pressure on the Canadian government, with demonstrations at universities, political events, and even the Toronto International Film Festival calling for further action regarding arms shipments to "Israel".

"Our policy is clear: We will not have any form of arms or parts of arms be sent to Gaza. Period," Joly stressed.

Historically, "Israel" has been one of the top recipients of Canadian arms exports, with Canada sending $21 million in military materials to the occupation entity in 2022, following $26 million in 2021. These figures place "Israel" among the top 10 destinations for Canadian arms exports.