By Andrew Macdonald
Weeks after the October 2023 terrorist group, Hamas, attacked Israel, killing 1,300 Jewish folks, leading to the current war in the Middle East, Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab criticized the response from the government of Israel.
And that, Dear Reader, is perhaps why Metlege Diab did not make it into the newly revised Trudeau cabinet.
While she is highly qualified and had been a star cabinet minister in the Nova Scotia government of Stephen McNeil from 2013-21, PM Justin Trudeau picked third-term Dartmouth MP Darren Fisher as his new Veterans Affairs minister.
I would argue that Metlege Diab is more qualified than, a Fisher former corner store operator. But, weeks after the Hamas attacks against Israel, Metlege Diab found herself running afoul of the powerful and influential organization, the Atlantic Jewish Council.
Weeks after the October 2023 attacks, 33 Members of Parliament had signed a letter calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.
The only Nova Scotia MP to sign the letter was Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab, an immigrant from Lebanon. Back then, Metlege Diab refrained from talking to The Macdonald Notebook about her position.
Her staffer got back to me on how long I would need to talk to Diab and when I could do an interview. I responded I was free all week and could wrap up an interview in 10 to 15 minutes. I did not hear back from Diab’s office.
Her signature on the letter calling for Israel to call off its war with Hamas was panned by Atlantic Jewish Council president Mark David, who wrote to his members — there are about 5,000 Jewish folks in Atlantic Canada — expressing concern with Diab’s support for a ceasefire.
“Thirty-three Members of Parliament wrote a letter to the Prime Minster calling on him to advocate for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. The Honorable Lena Diab, Member of Parliament for Halifax West, was one of the signatories. She was the only MP in Atlantic Canada to do so.
“We wrote to Ms. Diab to take issue with her position, stating that a ceasefire would only serve to benefit Hamas, which does not respect international law and would use any ceasefire to rest, regroup, and rearm for the next stage of the war. Humanitarian concerns are not on the Hamas agenda. This was affirmed by Canada’s Minister of Defence Bill Blair,” says David.
“We also pointed out how calls for a ceasefire embolden those participating in the shocking demonstrations taking place across Canada, including (a) rally (in Halifax), thereby leaving Jewish community members feeling discouraged, anxious, and unsupported,” he wrote.
“Ms. Diab reached out to me shortly after receiving our letter, but we have not been able to connect. I’ll report back when I hear further,” he informed his council members in 2023.
Now wonder if her support of a ceasefire is the reason she is not in the new Trudeau cabinet?
For more on Diab’s co-authored letter and where other Nova Scotia politicos stand on support for Israel or support for Palestine, click here for a Notebook article.
Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab. Image from Facebook
