Mahmoud Abbas

Embattled cabinet minister Ya’ara Saks says it was her “choice” to meet with the leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas last week in Ramallah, and that includes posing for photos that show him holding her arm and hand. The Liberal MP for a heavily Jewish Toronto riding, the Canadian-Israeli has been heavily criticized by community members since those photos were posted March 14 on the official social media account of Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly. (They were not posted on any of the accounts belonging to Saks herself.) Saks says she “was asked to go” with Joly on a diplomatic swing through Israel and the West Bank, and is adamant that despite the optics, it was “important for me to be in that room.” Ya’ara Saks joins The CJN Daily to explain the background to THAT photo, what she told Abbas and why she voted “yes” to a controversial NDP motion passed Monday in the House of Commons that many say rewarded Hamas terrorists. What we talked about: Read Ya’ara Saks statement on her Facebook page or on her Twitter (X). Ya’ara Saks on protests in Toronto since Oct. 7 in The CJN , and read Josh Lieblein’s opinion column , in The CJN. Learn more about the World Wide reciting of the Shema prayer set for Thursday 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Credits: The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine . Our title sponsor is Metropia . We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network . To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here . Hear why The CJN is important to me.

The photo has caused outrage in Canada’s Jewish community. Last week, the government released an image of the minister of foreign affairs, Melanie Joly, and Ya’ara Saks—her Israeli-Canadian cabinet colleague and Toronto area MP—smiling and holding hands in Ramallah with the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The grip and grin photo was taken on March 12, while the two Canadian politicians were on a diplomatic swing through the region, pledging aid to both sides while the war between Israel and Hamas enters its 24th week. The furor over the photo comes just as Canadian lawmakers on Monday are set to debate a key NDP motion in Parliament which, among other things, would see this country unilaterally recognize Palestine as an independent state. Will this motion will pass? What is Canada signalling about whose side they are on, now that Ottawa has also restarted financial aid to UNRWA, blocked export permits for military equipment to Israel and pledged $1 million to investigate sexual assaults on Palestinian prisoners by Israeli police and soldiers? On today’s episode of The CJN Daily , we dive into that infamous photo, the upcoming vote and what it all means. With Conservative insider Anthony Koch of AK Strategies; Emma Cunningham, a former Ontario NDP riding president; and Joe Roberts, formerly of JSpace Canada, and now a lobbyist and managing director with Winston Wilmont Public Affairs in Ottawa. What we talked about: Read the NDP motion on recognizing Palestine as an independent state, on the House of Commons website. When the Liberals voted in favour of an NDP motion to re-examine Canada’s relationship with Israel and Palestine, in May 2023, on The CJN Daily . Read about Emma Cunningham’s departure from the Ontario NDP over antisemitism, in The CJN . Credits: The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine . Our title sponsor is Metropia . We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network . To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here . Hear why The CJN is important to me.

09-20-2017 - President Donald J Trump with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian - audio English

09-20-2017 - President Donald J Trump with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian - audio English