Canada chose to abstain Wednesday as the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution urging Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank within 12 months, a move that has sparked sharp reactions both internationally and at home.
The resolution, introduced by the State of Palestine, passed with 124 countries voting in favour and 14 opposed, while 43 including Canada neither supported nor rejected it. Although the measure is not legally enforceable, its broad backing highlights the growing impatience of much of the international community with the status quo.
Canada’s UN ambassador, Bob Rae, said Ottawa could not endorse a text that, in his view, places responsibility entirely on Israel while ignoring the roles of other actors in the conflict.
“This is not a conflict with a single cause or a single party,” Rae told delegates, explaining that Canada’s abstention does not signal disagreement with international law but concern over the resolution’s framing and consequences.
The motion is rooted in a recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which concluded that Israel’s continued presence in territories captured in 1967 violates international law. Building on that finding, the General Assembly resolution calls for – The full withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Palestinian territories, The removal of Israeli settlers from those areas, Sanctions against individuals linked to maintaining the occupation, Restrictions on arms transfers suspected of being used in the territories, Compensation for Palestinians for damage tied to decades of occupation and Steps to curb trade and investment that sustain Israel’s control.
The proposal also instructs UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report within three months on actions taken by Israel, UN bodies, and member states in response to the resolution.
Guterres said the UN would respect the will of the General Assembly and the guidance of international courts, stressing that advisory opinions, while non-binding, carry significant moral and political weight.
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour welcomed the vote as a milestone.
“This sends a powerful signal that the world expects the occupation to end and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination to be fulfilled,” he said.
Israel responded with fury. Its UN envoy, Danny Danon, denounced the resolution as fundamentally biased and accused the Assembly of shielding militant groups while condemning Israel.
“On the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 attack, the General Assembly has chosen politics over principle,” Danon said, referring to the assault by Hamas that ignited the current war.
The abstention immediately triggered criticism within Canada. Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino said the government should have voted against what they described as a one-sided resolution that fails to adequately recognize Israel’s security concerns or right to exist.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs also rebuked the government, arguing that Canada had previously pledged to oppose UN motions that unfairly single out Israel. The group claimed abstaining weakens Canada’s credibility and risks emboldening Hamas.
Rae rejected that interpretation, saying Canada’s position reflects a refusal to support measures such as broad boycotts and isolation that Ottawa believes could harden divisions rather than move the region toward peace.
Canada’s vote fits into a noticeable evolution in its UN diplomacy. While Ottawa has traditionally voted against many Israel-focused resolutions, recent months have seen more nuanced positions, including abstentions and, in one case, support for a ceasefire call that did not explicitly condemn Hamas.
On the same day as the vote, Canada announced new sanctions targeting individuals connected to Hamas’s financial networks and extremist Israeli settlers, underscoring its stated aim of opposing violence and extremism on all sides.
Though Wednesday’s resolution lacks legal force, diplomats say its scale of support reflects a changing global mood one that is likely to intensify pressure on Israel and keep the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firmly at the centre of international debate in the months ahead.
