Eby and Trudeau were in Maple Ridge to announce funding for E-One Moli Energy, which is setting up a new $1-billion lithium-ion battery cell production facility
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Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war despite a letter released Tuesday from dozens of local B.C. politicians calling for an end to the fighting.
During an unrelated news conference in Maple Ridge on Tuesday, Eby was asked if he would add his name to the 52 local mayors, councillors and regional directors who signed a letter urging the Canadian government to call for a ceasefire, support the unrestricted access to humanitarian aid and secure the release of all hostages.
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“We have heard from residents who are directly affected with family and friends in Gaza and Israel, and from others concerned about the destruction unfolding,” the letter read. “They are pleading for action from all orders of government.”
Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley was the only mayor to sign the letter, which included signatures from Vancouver councillors Christine Boyle and Adriane Carr.
Eby did not explicitly call for a ceasefire, but said he is concerned by the rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia being experienced by many British Columbians since the war broke out.
He said British Columbians are watching “with incredible concern” the developments in the Middle East, including the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas that killed innocent people and resulted in more than 200 hostages taken into Gaza, as well as the bombings in Gaza by Israel which have killed women and children and cut off humanitarian access to food and water.
“Obviously, the province of B.C. is not in a position to deliver peace in the Middle East,” Eby said. “This is a long-standing conflict. But we can absolutely stand for peace and call for peace and for an end to this horrific run of death in this part of the world.”
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What the province can do, Eby said, is provide increased support for people experiencing hate in B.C., which has taken the form of Islamophobic attacks against members of the Muslim community and anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish community, including swastikas painted on the side of synagogues.
Eby and Trudeau were announcing funding for E-One Moli Energy, which is setting up a new $1-billion lithium-ion battery cell production facility in Maple Ridge. However, the majority of the questions from the media focused on Canada’s position on the war in the Middle East, including Canada’s recent United Nations vote that refused to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Trudeau defended Canada’s position and denied it jeopardizes the country’s credibility with other Western allies such as Australia, France and the United Kingdom who voted in favour of condemning the settlements.
“We will continue to stand unequivocally as we always have against illegal settlements,” said Trudeau, who said such settlements are impediments to the two-state solution which is backed by Canada. “That is a long-standing position that we’ve been shouting from the rooftops. However, the continued singling out of Israel at the UN is something that Canada has always taken issue with, and we will continue to stand up clearly alongside our values.”
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Trudeau also acknowledged the death of Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver who was confirmed dead on Monday, more than a month after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.
Loved ones had feared Silver had been taken hostage, but Toronto’s Israeli consul-general, Idit Shamir, confirmed via social media that the 74-year-old was killed in Kibbutz Be’eri where she lived.
“Last month, I had the chance to meet with one of her sons and I learned of her warmth, compassion and her lifelong commitment to building bridges between Israelis and Palestinians,” Trudeau said. “Vivian dedicated her life to peace. The bright light was extinguished on Oct. 7.”
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