This week, Canada voted in favour of the UN resolution which "reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine."

For the second year in a row, Canada voted in support of the resolution on Palestinian self-determination. Last year Canada voted in favour of the same UN resolution.

Canada defines itself on the international stage as a country committed to a world in which "no one is left behind."

Canada's vote in favour of UN resolutions concerning Palestinian human rights signals a significant shift in its standpoint regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Israel continues to violate Palestinian rights. Illegal settlements swallow up Palestinian lands. Israeli military campaigns produce high Palestinian casualties. Land grab, property confiscation, and house demolitions have skyrocketed over the last decade.

Against this context, Palestinians continue to demand the end of Israel's military occupation and recognition of Palestinian statehood. To date, 139 of 193 states of the United Nations have recognized the State of Palestine. Canada has not.