June 13, 2024

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Subject: Anti-Violence Organizations Demand Immediate Action to End Canada’s Complicity in the Genocide in Gaza

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

We are a collective of anti-violence organizations and community organizers outraged by the inaction and complicity of your government in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The Canadian government’s lack of decisive action is enabling war crimes and human rights violations on a massive scale, in direct contradiction to Canada’s own principles and stated commitments.

As organizations on these lands providing services to people of all marginalized genders who face sexual violence and gender-based violence, we acknowledge that such violence is rooted in and perpetuated by conditions that allow for dehumanization, degradation, and loss of autonomy. Systemic violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, is upheld by the destruction of our earth, militarization, racism, colonization, and all other systems of inequity. We know that sexual violence and gender-based violence increase exponentially in genocidal violence and under military occupation. The irony is not lost on us that the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence was rolled out at the end of 2023 by your government, all while remaining indifferent about the women, trans and queer people, and children who are being massacred daily by the Israeli government.

For over eight months, we have witnessed the Israeli government perpetrate countless atrocities against innocent civilians in Gaza, including the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and residential areas. Since October 7, 2023, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed, with over 20,000 of them being women and children. The Israeli government has deliberately withheld essential resources, including clean water, food, and medical supplies, from Palestinian civilians. The UN reported that over 183 people a day are giving birth without pain relief, and 95% of pregnant and nursing parents are facing severe food insecurity. This same report details the inhumane and degrading conditions that Palestinian women and girls face while being detained by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Despite the International Court of Justice’s order on May 24, 2024, to halt the military offensive in Rafah, the IDF have only escalated their attacks on civilians.

As leaders in the anti-violence movement, we uphold the principles of peace, safety, equity, and justice that Canada claims to champion. We represent marginalized communities, including women, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and disabled individuals, who are all too familiar with oppression and colonial violence. It is unconscionable that your government has not taken meaningful action to end the genocide in Palestine. The framework in your National Action Plan To End Gender-Based Violence includes, “Recognize the expertise of survivors and community agencies providing support.”  As dedicated members of these community agencies, we are outraged and heartbroken by the deafening silence and lack of action from your government in the face of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Your statement on May 28, 2024, that “Canada in no way supports the military operations by Israel in Rafah,” rings hollow when your actions do not reflect this stance. Despite Parliament voting in favour of a ceasefire in March, Canada has continued to produce and export military equipment used against civilians. What do we stand for if we fail to leverage our political influence to end this violence? Your government’s inaction is a stain on our national conscience and a direct violation of our ethical and moral obligations.

We demand that you take immediate and concrete actions to address this crisis:

1. Use any and all means to facilitate a permanent ceasefire including the release of all hostages.

2. Impose sanctions against Israel.

3. Implement a comprehensive two-way arms embargo on Israel.

4. Recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

5. Hold the Israeli government accountable for human rights violations and war crimes by supporting the ICJ ruling and the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

6. Allow those fleeing Gaza entry into Canada at the same rates as those fleeing Ukraine.

7. Advocate that women, queer, and trans people are central to ceasefire and peace negotiations.

8. Full divestment in companies that violate human, environmental, or labour rights.

Canada’s inaction in the face of these atrocities is not only shameful but also makes us complicit in the perpetuation of war crimes and human rights violations. We pride ourselves on being a nation that supports marginalized communities facing oppression and colonization, both within our borders and globally. We cannot claim genuine Reconciliation on our own lands while we idly watch colonialism and violence unfold elsewhere. It is our moral and ethical duty to act decisively and align our foreign policy with our values of peace, justice, and human rights.

The world is watching, and history will judge us by our actions. It is time for Canada to demonstrate the leadership and compassion it is known for and take the necessary steps to end the suffering in Gaza.

Sincerely,

Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre
The Prince George Sexual Assault Centre
Good Night Out Vancouver – “Good Night Out supports the rights of all Indigenous people to live peaceful, joyful and long lives on their homelands free of violence and dispossession.”
Atira Women’s Resource Society
PACE Society
La Boussole – Centre communautaire francophone
Living in Community
New Page Foundation – “Stop violence in our homes inside and on the streets, in our relationships, in so-called Canada’s institutions and divest from and end genocide and military occupations world-wide and at home. Full circle.”