Joly announced earlier this week that Canada will provide approximately $750,000 to organizations supporting survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“We believe Israeli women, and we stand with them in their fight for justice,” Joly wrote on March 11. “Today, I sat down with the First Lady of Israel, Michal Herzog, to discuss the sexual violence committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 and our support for survivors.”
Joly also stated that Canada is offering the assistance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in investigating these crimes.
However, her comments drew criticism from various quarters.
“If you truly believed Israeli women, you wouldn’t have voted for a ceasefire that rewards Hamas terrorists for their grotesque and horrific acts of sexual violence against Israeli women,” wrote Honest Reporting Canada. “You also wouldn’t have resumed funding to UNRWA, a key organization that facilitated Hamas in the Oct. 7 massacre, which resulted in the murder of over 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 240 hostages into Gaza.”
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also wrote to Joly, stating, “Your actions speak louder than your words. But you just restored Canadian funding for UNRWA, whose employees participated in the Oct. 7 massacres, many of whom are Hamas members.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly sparked controversy with a $1 million pledge to support Palestinian women who have survived sexual violence. (Photo: Facebook.)
Canada Support of Palestinian Survivors of Sexual Violence, Sparks Controversy
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, sparked further controversy with an additional $1 million pledge to support Palestinian women who have survived sexual violence. Joly made the announcement on social media, stating, “We believe Palestinian women. Allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against them must be investigated and Palestinian women must be supported.”
However, the move drew immediate rebuke from a senior Israeli official. Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s envoy for combating antisemitism, criticized the funding, calling it “supporting blood-libel inversion of fact” that would fuel rising anti-Jewish sentiment. She also expressed concern about undermining Canada’s commitment to uphold principles of life and liberty.
Joly’s office declined to specify whether the funding pertains to allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces in Gaza or domestic abuse within the Palestinian territories. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs emphasized the importance of believing women impacted by sexual violence during conflict but cautioned against equating the planned attack by Hamas, which included sexual assault of Israeli women, with other allegations.
Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Canadian group, urged careful assessment of allegations of gender-based violence and emphasized Israel’s objective processes for addressing misconduct claims. He expressed concern that the claims may seek to weaponize gender-based violence to delegitimize Israel, stressing the need for thorough investigations before commenting, passing judgment, or allocating funding.
The announcement by Joly underscores Canada’s commitment to supporting survivors of sexual violence globally but has reignited debate and scrutiny regarding diplomatic relations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Amidst differing perspectives and concerns about the politicization of gender-based violence, the situation highlights the complexities of foreign aid distribution and the challenges of navigating sensitive geopolitical issues.