Former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra Speaks Up on Gaza

Today former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra had this note posted on his Facebook page:

History repeats itself
Today at 8:16am

On August 1, 2006, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Standing Committee had an emergency meeting to discuss the escalation of violence in the middle east. I participated in the debate then and here's part of what I said.

"Canadians expect their government not to be neutral like you said, Mr. Van Loan, but to be fair and to condemn violence against civilians by all parties and the best way to do it is by calling for an immediate ceasefire, and not to talk about it as an abstraction. It's not an abstraction to the civilians, including Canadians who are caught up in the crossfire over there. It's not a philosophical debate. It's a real tragedy where Canadians and other civilians are being subjected to ongoing violence on both sides, in Israel and in Lebanon and also we can't forget the Palestinian territories.

We must have the moral courage to ask for a ceasefire immediately and then bring all the sides to which you're referring to the negotiating table. We can set the conditions that are needed to make a sustainable ceasefire. But you cannot, for anybody who has an ounce of heart, watch the civilian devastation and destruction and say I'm reluctant to ask for a ceasefire right now......it is imperative to send a message, a signal, that Canada unconditionally always stands on the side of protection of civilians on all sides."