A Welcome Initiative: China’s proposal for an International Peace Conference on Palestine

The Canadian Peace Congress welcomes the efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to end the Israeli genocidal war on Palestine and move quickly towards the creation of the State of Palestine.

As we approach the fifth month of Israel’s war on Palestine we clearly see the horrific genocide taking place on a daily basis. The far-right Netanyahu government has repeatedly declared its objective to destroy Palestine and smash any hope of a Palestinian state. The extension of apartheid Israel “from the river to the sea” is but the first stage in creating a “greater Israel”. The planned annexation of all remaining Palestinian lands in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem is a direct effort to drive Palestinians out of their land.

Israel is the most important imperialist outpost in West Asia and, as such, all imperialist powers from the United States, the European Union and Canada have directly supported Israel with weapons and diplomatic cover. One example of this cover is the claim that the war in Gaza is not against Palestinians but rather Hamas, yet it is the women and children who are dying by the tens of thousands. Another is the constant repetition that “Israel has a right to defend itself.” In fact under international law, occupying powers have no such right; rather, it is the people who are suffering an illegal occupation who have the right to resist. And finally, there is the trope of “We are using military force to free the hostages.” Yet not a single hostage has been freed in almost 4 months of genocidal attacks on the enclave.

While the imperialist “West” feigns concern for civilians being killed by Israel, it is China – with its long history of promoting diplomacy in international relations – which has once again stepped forward with a serious proposal to help achieve a durable peace in the region.

The PRC has been increasingly active in promoting peace and dialogue rather than war and aggression in West Asia. In March 2023, Beijing was able to facilitate détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In May 2023, China helped bring Syria back into the Arab League, noting that as “the shadow of the U.S. shrinks, the light of peace spreads.”

In Palestine, the PRC’s efforts to bring peace dates back many years. When justified Palestinian protest erupted in May 2012, China urged “all relevant parties, the Israeli side in particular, to exercise maximum restraint” after more than 1000 people were injured by Israeli occupation forces. Such calls were repeated in 2014 during the Gaza War when Zionist forces killed 2,251 people, including almost 1,500 civilians. In May 2021, Palestinians protested an expected Israeli Supreme Court decision that would allow the eviction of 6 Palestinian families in Jerusalem. The struggle escalated when Israeli occupation forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, leading to the death of 250 Palestinians. China consistently called upon Israel to stop its aggression and to recognize the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people.

Since October, Chinese officials have repeatedly argued that “the question of Palestine… is at the heart of the Middle East issue and a wound that keeps being torn open in today’s world. The root cause of this question is the long delay in realizing the dream of an independent State of Palestine and the failure to redress the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people.”

Most recently China has called for a “large scale peace conference to discuss the implementation of the two-state solution”.  The PRC insists that “to restart talks for peace between Palestine and Israel on the basis of the two-state solution is the only realistic way out to break the vicious cycle of the Palestine-Israel conflict.”

This statement is in line with the demands of the World Peace Council and its affiliates as well as numerous other peace organizations and governments worldwide.

The Canadian Peace Congress welcomes this important initiative of the People’s Republic of China. We once again call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to end the genocide. We underline our support for the creation of a viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This, of course, means the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the guaranteed right of return for Palestinian refugees dating from 1948. In addition, we underline our demand for the release of all Palestinian political prisoners from arbitrary detention.

Further, we demand that Canada end its military and diplomatic support for Israel. Along with the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network, our Congress demands Canada immediately implement an arms embargo on Israel. We underline that Canada must get out of NATO, NORAD and the Five Eyes intelligence network, and adopt an independent foreign policy based on disarmament, solidarity and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.

Canadian Arms Embargo on Israel immediately!
End the genocide – Ceasefire now!
No diplomatic cover for Israeli crimes!
End the occupation!

Issued by the Executive, Canadian Peace Congress

January 29, 2024