Canadian Official Hands Out Map Erasing Israel, Israel Warned Not to be ‘Provocative’

The action of a Canadian representative earlier this year was more than provocative. It was a severe breach of Israel- Canadian friendship.

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch

During his recent meetings with Israeli officials, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau warned Israel that “continued building of settlements” is “provocative.”

However, the action of a Canadian representative earlier in the year was more than provocative – it was a severe breach of Israel- Canadian friendship.

At a ceremony honoring female Palestinian entrepreneurs hosted by the PA Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Jason Tulk, head of Cooperation at the Representative Office of Canada in the PA, together with PA Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr. Amal Hamad, handed out an honorary plaque in the shape of the PA map of “Palestine” which entirely erases the State of Israel.

The use of this PA map replacing Israel with “Palestine” has been condemned by the international community. Former U.S. President Barak Obama called it a security threat to Israel alongside terror.

“As President I will never compromise when it comes to Israel’s security… Not when there are terrorist groups and political leaders committed to Israel’s destruction. Not when there are maps across the Middle East that don’t even acknowledge Israel’s existence,” Obama said in a speech to AIPAC in 2008.

Agreeing to hand out this particular map, which Palestinian Media Watch has exposed, is used by the PA in all frameworks – from schoolbooks, to official logos, and cartoons in the official PA daily and more – the Canadian representative implicitly legitimized the PA vision of a world with only “Palestine,” and the destruction of the State of Israel.

As PMW has exposed, the PA and Fatah untiringly promote the ideology of “liberation” of “Palestine from the Sea to the River.” It is disappointing to see a Canadian government representative actively use such a symbol.