After non-binding motion, Canada to halt arms exports to Israel
FM slams Ottawa for ‘step that undermines Israel’s right to self-defense in the face of Hamas murderers,’ as Trudeau takes increasingly critical stance toward Jewish state
Ottawa will stop future arms exports to Israel, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Tuesday, a day after Canada’s parliament passed a non-binding motion on the issue.
“It is a real thing,” Joly told The Toronto Star, indicating that the move will not just be symbolic.
The motion was part of a larger vote calling on the international community to work toward a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, in line with Canadian government policy.
The original motion was drawn up by the minority left-leaning New Democrats, who are helping to keep Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in power and are unhappy with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Last week, Canada said it had paused non-lethal military exports to Israel since January. Trudeau, while asserting Israel’s right to defend itself, has taken an increasingly critical stance over the military campaign in Gaza after the terror group’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz slammed Canada for the decision.
“I am sorry that the government of Canada is taking this step that undermines Israel’s right to self-defense in the face of Hamas murderers who carried out terrible crimes against humanity and against innocent Israelis, including the elderly, women and children,” he said in a statement.
“History will judge the current acts of Canada harshly,” he added.
Along with demanding a suspension of all trade in military goods and technology with Israel, the initial motion urged an immediate ceasefire and an end to illegal arms transfers to Hamas, and called on the group to release all the hostages it took during the October 7 attack.
Additionally, the motion called on Canada to “officially recognize the State of Palestine” — a step that no member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations has taken, though after backroom negotiations that wording was dropped in favor of language calling on the international community to work toward the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.
Agencies contributed to this report.
