Mark Carney should not be part of the US Gaza plan, which makes a “mockery of Palestinian self-determination”, rights groups say.
Canadian human rights groups have welcomed President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to the U.S. president’s so-called peace commission, saying Canada should not participate in a “colonial project.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) told a board meeting led by President Trump on Friday that it was “relieved that Canada is no longer welcome.”
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“At a time of massive war crimes and humanitarian disaster in Gaza, Canada must strive to be in line with international law and human rights,” the group said on social media.
“The Peace Commission makes a mockery of Palestinian self-determination, and Canada should have nothing to do with it.”
This was echoed by the advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), which said Carney’s participation would give the board “unwarranted legitimacy.”
“Canadians want principled opposition to President Trump’s power grab, not mixed messages,” the group said in X.
President Trump announced late Thursday that he had withdrawn his invitation to Carney to participate in the U.S. President’s Remarks.At any time, the most prestigious leadership conference ever assembled. ”
Earlier in the day, President Trump held a signing ceremony to announce the Peace Commission Charter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with the leaders of several participating countries.
The U.S. government presented the initiative as a key part of President Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where more than 71,500 people have been killed since October 2023.
The United States has appointed senior Trump administration officials and other world leaders to the board, which will oversee the Palestinian Technical Committee tasked with managing day-to-day operations in Gaza.
The US presidential team also announced plans to rebuild the enclave on Thursday, saying billions of dollars in investment would be secured.
But Palestinians have criticized the Trump administration’s push for not giving them a real say in the future of their coastal region.
They also criticized the board’s inclusion of fervent Israel supporters and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
“The announced reconstruction plan does not compensate the Palestinians for what they have lost and what they need,” Gaza resident Mohammed Shamarq told Al Jazeera.
“What I want is to first remove the hazardous substances in the rubble and then rebuild my home as before.”
Another resident, Nimel Mataru, said: “The recovery we want is to go back to our hometown and rebuild the bombed areas.”
President Trump did not say why Carney’s invitation to the peace committee was rescinded.
But the move comes just days after Canada’s prime minister said in a well-received speech at Davos that the US-led world order was facing a moment of “collapse” amid coercion and intimidation.
The Canadian prime minister’s comments angered President Trump, who warned Secretary Carney at Davos that “Canada lives because of the United States.”
“Mark, please remember that next time you speak,” the Republican leader said.
Tensions between the longtime allies have escalated in recent months as President Trump attempts to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods and repeatedly threatens to make Canada the “51st state” of the United States.
