Speech by Nepean MP candidate Vee Gandhi on the Palestinian - Israeli conflict
My dear friends,
We gather here not out of hatred, not out of division, but out of deep, unwavering compassion for the suffering of a people—the Palestinian people, who for over seventy-five years have endured occupation, exile, siege, and systematic erasure of their homes, history, and humanity.
Let us be honest. For too long, the world has pretended that this is a conflict of equals. That “both sides” are equally responsible. That it's too complicated to speak of right or wrong. But that framing is false. It is cowardice disguised as neutrality.
The truth is this: Palestinians are a stateless, occupied, and militarily dominated people. Israel is a powerful state actor with one of the most advanced militaries on Earth, backed by billions in foreign aid and armed with nuclear weapons. Israel controls Gaza’s borders, airspace, economy, and daily life. In the West Bank, apartheid is not an accusation—it is a documented fact, confirmed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Israel’s own human rights group, B’Tselem.
Palestinians live under siege. They endure checkpoints, land confiscations, arrests without charge, settler violence, and demolition of their homes. Their children are born into trauma and raised behind walls. And when they resist—often in desperation—they are labeled as terrorists, while the state violence against them is normalized or ignored.
This is not a symmetrical conflict. This is the colonization and forced displacement of a people. The moral asymmetry is clear.
Canada’s Role: What Can We Do?
We in Canada are not bystanders. We are taxpayers, voters, and human beings with a voice. And we have both the responsibility and the power to demand change.
1. End Military and Diplomatic Support to Apartheid
Canada must immediately suspend all arms trade and military cooperation with Israel until it ends the occupation and complies with international law. No Canadian weapons, no Canadian dollars, should support apartheid.
2. Call Out Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
When 80% of Gaza’s land is in ruins… when children are bombed in hospitals… when civilians are starved under siege… this is not “conflict.” This is genocide. And Canada must say so—clearly, publicly, and without euphemism.
3. Investigate Foreign Influence and Propaganda
Our media and political institutions are not neutral. Why was John F. Kennedy assassinated after challenging Israel’s nuclear ambitions? Why are pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC allowed unchecked influence? Why are peaceful Palestinian voices smeared while apartheid is defended?
We must demand transparency and accountability, including examining the role of anti-Islamic propaganda in Canadian discourse, and the suppression of Palestinian rights in our schools, our media, and our laws.
4. Reject Divide-and-Conquer Tactics
Whether it’s religion, race, or ideology, we must not let ourselves be pitted against each other. The same forces that attack Palestine promote censorship, surveillance, Digital ID, and centralized banking (CBDC) here at home. This is not just about Palestine. This is about freedom, justice, and sovereignty for all.
5. Support the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement
Canada must take a stand, just as the world did against apartheid South Africa. We must:
Boycott companies profiting from occupation
Divest from institutions complicit in war crimes
Sanction Israeli officials responsible for crimes against humanity
The Global Picture: Strategic Isolation of Palestine
While Israel enjoys robust relationships with global powers like China and India, Palestine is isolated, denied the same alliances, investments, or platforms. Chinese firms pour billions into Israeli ports, tech startups, and infrastructure. India signs multi-billion-dollar arms deals and agriculture partnerships with Israel while ignoring the people of Palestine entirely.
Palestinians are denied not only their land—but even a seat at the table.
We must expose this imbalance. It is not just political—it is economic, cultural, and strategic. It is part of a global project of domination dressed up in the language of development and security.
Viable Canadian Solutions
Here’s what we in Canada can and must do:
Recognize the Palestinian Right to Return and oppose the “Greater Israel” project that seeks permanent ethnic cleansing.
Defund organizations promoting anti-Islamic bias, and establish legal protections for Palestinian activism.
Create educational programs in schools and universities about the real history of Palestine—beyond the colonial narrative.
Host international forums in Canada with Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, and Palestinian voices to build solidarity across borders.
Propose Canadian-led investigations into digital surveillance, psychological operations, and foreign influence used to suppress dissent and control narratives—at home and abroad.
A Final Word: No More Silence
Silence is complicity. Neutrality is not peace. And peace without justice is submission.
We stand with Palestine because we believe in freedom—not just for them, but for all of us.
We will not be divided. We will not be bought. And we will not be silenced.
From Gaza to Turtle Island, from Jerusalem to Toronto—freedom is not negotiable. Justice is not optional. And Palestine will be free.
Thank you.