Mideast group, meeting in Ottawa, discussed security for Palestinians and Israelis, Joly says

A group of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met Saturday in Ottawa with Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.

The quietly planned meeting focused on ways countries could help efforts to secure peace for Palestinians and Israelis after Hamas militants launched a deadly rampage in Israel on Oct. 7.

Joly hosted the delegation, which calls itself the Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit. The group normally includes Jordan, though Joly’s office says that country needed to send its foreign minister on other business.

The group is not a joint peace project with Israel, and says its leaders aim to speak on behalf of Arab and Muslim people following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in response to the Hamas attack.

Trudeau joined the meeting in Ottawa toward its conclusion. His public itinerary for Saturday had originally said only that he was holding private meetings in the National Capital Region. His itinerary was updated to note his presence at the summit with Joly after the fact. The media was not provided with the location of the meeting.

Saudi diplomatic chill thaws

The meeting marked the first visit to Canada by Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister since a diplomatic chill over human rights issues in 2018, when Riyadh recalled its ambassador from Ottawa and expelled Canada’s envoy.

In May, Canada and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore ambassadors in each other’s capitals, after a 2018 spat sparked by Canada’s loud condemnation of the kingdom’s human-rights record.

That year, Canada called on Saudi Arabia to release its detained women’s rights and democracy activists. Riyadh responded by pulling its ambassador and freezing new trade with Canada.

Joly’s office said the ministers discussed political pathways to a comprehensive and lasting peace, with an emphasis on “self-determination, human rights and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”

The ministers also discussed the need to allow much more humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.

Ministers also travelled to other countries

The delegation visited Ottawa after travelling to Washington, with the group having met with the five members of the UN Security Council and the European Union presidency holder Spain.

The group of ministers had previously visited the…