Canadian MPs shocked at treatment by Israeli border officials

Several members of a Canadian delegation that were denied entry to the West Bank last Tuesday are now back on Canadian soil. 

The group of 30 delegates, including six Members of Parliament, was sponsored by the charitable organization The Canadian-Muslim Vote. They had planned to visit the West Bank to meet with displaced Palestinians, but were denied entry by Israel at the Allenby Crossing.

Montreal MP Sameer Zuberi tells CityNews he was shocked and deeply disturbed by the way they were treated by Israeli border officials.

“The manner in which we were treated was uncalled for and unbecoming,” he said upon arriving at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Saturday with fellow MP Iqra Khalid.

“I’m very surprised that any border officials would ever deal with us as they dealt with us. And if they dealt with us in such a rude and rough fashion, how do they deal with people who are not Canadian, who are not Parliamentarians – that’s a serious question that needs to be asked and needs to be answered.”

Israel’s embassy in Canada has since said the group was denied entry due to The Canadian-Muslim Vote having ties to Islamic Relief Worldwide – a group the Israeli government has listed as a terrorist organization.

Khalid, who represents Mississauga-Erin Mills, claims she was pushed by border officials while trying to check on a member of the delegation who had been pulled aside for additional questioning. She said she shared details of the incident with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who promised to follow up.

“There’s no democracy without transparency and accountability, and as we Canadians really push forward for democracy, especially in that region, I think transparency and accountability and justice are very, very important pillars,” said Khalid.

A spokeswoman for Anand’s office said in a media statement Friday that Global Affairs Canada summoned the Israeli ambassador “immediately upon hearing of the issue” on Tuesday.

The delegation visited Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and met with Jordanian officials Monday to get a better sense of what they can do to help from the Canadian perspective, Khalid said.

Canada formally recognized Palestinian statehood in September but said some conditions must be met first, including elections in the new year that Hamas can’t contest.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report