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The history of Canada-Palestine ties is complicated. Various circumstances, including Canada's colonial legacy, foreign relations, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have shaped it.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over Palestine, which lasted until World War I, Canada did not have a significant relationship with the region. However, following the war, the British Empire gained control over Palestine, and Canada became a member of the League of Nations, which granted Britain the mandate to administer Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of the partition of Palestine, leading to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Canada endorsed the partition plan.^[1]

In recent years, Canada has continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has been criticized by some for not taking a more active role in supporting Palestinian rights. However, Canada has also provided humanitarian aid to Palestinians and has expressed support for a two-state solution, and does not recognize West Bank settlements as part of Israel.^[2]^[3]

The Canadian government recognizes the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the representative of the Palestinian people and has maintained contact with the PA since its establishment in 1994. Canada has also provided financial assistance to the PA in support of institution-building, economic development, and humanitarian assistance.

Despite the strong support for Israel in Canada, many in the First Nations communities are sympathetic with Palestinians due to perceived historic parallels in both peoples struggles ^[4]

Diaspora

There are about 30,000 Palestinians living in Canada.^[5]

History

From 1948 to 1967, Canada recognized Israel shortly after its establishment, but did not formally recognize the Palestinian refugees as a distinct group or advocate for their rights.^{[citation needed]} However, Canada did support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provided assistance to Palestinian refugees.

In the aftermath of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Canada began to express concern about the situation of the Palestinians and the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In 1969, Canada supported the UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called for Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in the war and the recognition of the right of all states in the region to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1970s through the 1980s, saw Canada become more actively engaged in efforts to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict.^{[citation needed]}

Official Palestinian-Canadian ties can be traced back to the aftermath of the Oslo Accords; in 1993, a Canadian representative office was established in Ramallah. On the other side, in 1995, an office in Ottawa was established to represent Palestinian interests.^[5]

In March 2024, resolution under the government of Justin Trudeau called for Canada to "work with international partners to actively pursue the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including towards the establishment of the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution." Though the original proposal of this bill, by the New Democratic Party under Jagmeet Singh, called for the House of Commons to "officially recognize the State of Palestine," this line was removed prior to the passing of the bill.^[6]

In October 2024, the Canadian House of Commons standing committee conducted expert hearings on the issue.^[7] Shortly after, House of Commons Petition e-5244 gathered more than 500 signatures, forcing the government to publicly respond to the popular demand to recognize Palestine as a state.^[8] At the time, polls suggested that the Conservative Party of Canada was the frontrunner for the upcoming election. The Conservatives made clear that for them the recognition of Palestine is not an option unless Israel agrees to it.