Cabinet will not “pick sides” in Israel’s war with Hamas, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said yesterday. Joly made the remark as the Commons passed by a 204 to 117 vote a New Democrat motion to end the conflict.

“This conflict has polarized our society and is testing the strength of our social cohesion,” said Joly. “We are entangled in a web of devastation and face pressure to pick sides, forced to believe that if we speak up for one, of course surely we are against the other. For us it is not that simple. Given the situation I doubt there will be a winner.”

“Where do we stand? We are there to help,” said Joly. “We are an honest broker and that is what Canada does.”