Washington DC — Canadians don show support for Prime Minister Mark Carney announcement say Ottawa go recognise di State of Palestine for di 80th Session of di UN General Assembly (UNGA) wey go happen for September. Dis one dey follow similar announcement wey United Kingdom and France don make before.

But dem dey talk say Canada no suppose put any condition for di decision.

Trevor Franklin, wey be rehabilitation worker from British Columbia for Canada, tell TRT World say di step dey reasonable to fit end di wahala wey Israel dey cause for Gaza, where dem don reportedly kill over 60,000 Palestinians, displace almost all di 2.3 million people wey dey there, and create hunger crisis for di area.

“For me, to recognise Palestine dey very reasonable. Di killing don too much,” Franklin talk give TRT World.

“To dey see di innocent children and people wey dey suffer for di matter dey break person heart.”

Most countries for di United Nations — 147 out of 193 — don already recognise Palestinian state, wey get observer status for di UN.

Carney talk say Canada dey ready to recognise Palestine, and e highlight di need for coordinated action to support peace and dignity for di middle of di civilian suffering.

“To preserve two-state solution mean say we go stand with all di people wey choose peace instead of violence or terrorism, and honour di way dem wan make Israeli and Palestinian states live together peacefully as di only way wey go bring secure and better future,” Carney talk.

E still promise say Canada go continue to deliver humanitarian aid for Gaza, and dem go work with Ottawa partners to develop plan wey go secure Palestine future.

Another Canadian, Robert Copeland from Ontario, wey dey near US, also support di move. E talk say e dey stand with di Palestinians and di suffer wey dem don dey face since October 2023.

“I dey feel for di Palestinians. Wetin dey happen to dem no good… E dey sad,” Copeland tell TRT World.

Long overdue

Survey wey dem do recently show say almost half of Canadians dey support make Palestinian state dey. Another 57 percent dey support public talk wey dey back Palestinians to get dia own state.

Many people still dey talk say di recognition of Palestine don tey wey e suppose happen.

Dunia Hamou, Canadian wey dey live for California, US, tell TRT World say di move dey “overdue and symbolic.” She talk say e shock her say people suddenly dey feel safe to talk against Israel forced starvation for Gaza.

“Na di general public we need make dem dey our side, and dis fit give us better push. Di international community dey with Palestine,” she add.

But Carney don talk say Canada recognition of Palestinian sovereignty go get conditions.

Di conditions include say Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas go reform governance, hold general elections for 2026 wey Hamas no go participate, and demilitarise di Palestinian state.

Di National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), wey be human rights and civil liberties group, welcome di decision of PM Carney as better step, but dem dey call for unconditional recognition of Palestine right to be sovereign state.

“Dis na historic day for Canada. We dey happy say our country don join di global majority to announce di upcoming formal recognition of Palestinian sovereignty for September,” NCCM head Stephen Brown tell reporters for Ottawa last week.

“We no go ever stop to recognise di right of Palestinian people to exist and dia right to sovereign state where dem fit govern demself, plan dia future and get dia inalienable right to self-determination,” e talk.

Brown still emphasise di inalienable right, talk say, “No delay suppose dey to recognise dis right,” and e add say “e no go ever dey subject to condition.”

“Dis decision pass symbolic,” e add, reject di false claim wey US and Israel dey talk say recognition of Palestine dey reward Hamas.

Di Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC), wey be advocacy group, also welcome di goment decision but dem no like di conditions wey dem attach.

“Di right to self-determination no be conditional; e dey inherent, universal, and e dey for international law,” dem talk for statement.

“Canada no suppose dey dictate di terms of Palestinian sovereignty, including who dem fit choose to represent dem or how dem go govern demself.”

Dem talk say di talk about demilitarisation or “acceptable leadership” dey undermine di legitimacy of future Palestinian state and e fit repeat di pattern of external control wey don happen before.

Canada suppose stand gidigba for di principle say Palestine, like all other UN member states, get di right to exist as fully sovereign, independent, and self-governing state – free from political preconditions or imposed limitations, CMPAC talk.

Palestinians viewed through the lens of Canada's First Nations

Some people dey call for more concrete action so dat di mistakes of di past no go repeat.

Copeland talk say e dey happy say Canada dey put sanctions on Israel, and e dey hope say Ottawa go plan how to end di bloodshed for Gaza.

“I no get wahala if dem put sanctions on dem. I no get problem with dat at all,” Copeland talk.

“I sure say dem dey try work on solution. I dey proud of wetin Carney don dey do so far, so I dey hope for di best.”

Hamou talk say if Canada wan dey champion human rights, dem suppose put strong arms embargo on Israel and push for investigation for di International Criminal Court.

“I think say Canada suppose put arms embargo on Israel. If Canada wan dey champion human rights, e fit push for ICC investigation into wetin many legal, medical and human rights groups don call genocide,” Hamou talk.

Recently, researchers from four NGOs — including World Beyond War, di Palestinian Youth Movement, Canadians for Justice and Peace in di Middle East, and Independent Jewish Voices — claim say dem don find data from Israel Tax Authority wey show say Canadian goods wey dem label as military weapon parts and ammunition still dey enter Israel.

But Canada don reaffirm say dem ban military exports wey fit dey used for Gaza, and dem reject di report wey suggest say arms still dey flow from Canada to Israel.

Hamou compare Israel colonial plan for Palestine to Canada treatment of First Nations for di early years of di country, and she talk say dis reflection fit change Ottawa “passive” position.

“I wish say Canada go look mirror and accept our own colonial past, recognise di similarities between how Canada treat First Nations and how Israel dey do for Palestine,” she talk.

“E go change di narrative from making Canada look like passive mediator to country wey dey face di truth about dia own history of settler colonialism.”