Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and International Cooperation Minister Josée Verner today made the following announcement regarding Hamas forming the next government of the Palestinian Authority and Canada’s assistance to the Palestinians.

“The Palestinian Legislative Council has approved the formation of a Hamas-led government,” stated Minister MacKay. “The stated platform of this government has not addressed the concerns raised by Canada and others concerning non-violence, the recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap for Peace. As a result, Canada will have no contact with the members of the Hamas cabinet and is suspending assistance to the Palestinian Authority,” added the Minister. “A clear commitment by the Hamas government to the principles that we and the international community have outlined remains an essential precondition for Canada to resume any assistance to the Palestinian Authority.”...

...According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the $25 million annual aid, $7.2 million has gone directly to the Palestinian Authority, and that is the portion that will presumably be terminated. Another $10 million per year goes to UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency), the agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, and the balance to other NGOs and directly funded projects.

If the Canadian government is genuinely committed to ending the funding of terror, aid to UNRWA must likewise be terminated until there is absolute verification that UNRWA is being run in an effective, neutral, and accountable manner, and that UNRWA plays no role, directly or through Hamas, in terror or incitement. Canada must determine its own policy on UNRWA, regardless of requests from foreign governments.

There is a massive body of evidence that links UNRWA to Hamas and to the worsening plight of refugees (see reports below), and unless the Canadian government can refute that evidence and assure Canadians that our tax dollars are used only for humanitarian projects, then all aid to UNRWA must be terminated. Today, funding UNRWA is little different from funding Hamas directly...