Designating Palestine as a State Supporter of
Terrorism 

Designating Palestine as a State Supporter of Terrorism 

Canada’s State Immunity Act provides that foreign states can be designated as supporting terrorism if they commit an act or omission that would contravene sections 83.02 to 83.04 or 83.18 to 83.23 of the Criminal Code, for the benefit of, or in relation to, a listed terrorist entity. Secure Canada's legal analysis focuses on three entities that plausibly constitute the core of the newly-recognized Palestinian state: the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Fatah.

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There is evidence that the PA engages in systematic financing of terrorism through its stipend program, which provides escalating payments to convicted terrorists and the families of those killed in attacks. The PLO’s factions, notably the PLF and the PFLP, have a long record of hijackings, bombings, and other attacks. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, a listed terrorist entity founded by Fatah,has carried out suicide bombings, shootings, and attacks on civilians.

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Taken together, these findings arguably provide reasonable grounds to believe that Palestine meets the legal threshold for designation as a state supporter of terrorism. Such a designation would provide victims with avenues for redress in Canadian courts and reinforce Canada’s stated policy that Palestinian statehood requires demilitarization and a decisive break from terrorist support. More broadly, it would underscore that statehood entails not only rights but also responsibilities, including the obligation to refrain from supporting terrorism.