Canada still freeze arms export to Israel

Canada has not approved new permits for arms exports to Israel since Jan. 8, and the freeze will continue until Ottawa can ensure the weapons are being used in compliance with Canadian law, the Canadian government said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie’s office said in an emailed statement that export permits approved before January 8 are still valid.

The political survival of the Liberal Party’s minority government depends on the support they receive from the left-leaning New Democrats, which is pushing for a tougher stance on Israel over the Gaza conflict.

“Canada has one of the strongest export permit systems in the world… There are no open permits to export lethal products to Israel,” the Secretary of State’s Office said in a statement.

The statement added, “Since January 8, the government hasn’t approved new permits to export weapons to Israel, and this will continue until we can ensure full compliance with our export regime”.

Canadian law prohibits the export of weapons if there is a possibility that they will be used in a “serious violation of international humanitarian law” or “serious acts of violence against women and children… Ottawa must also ascertain the extent to which weapons contribute to or undermine peace and security”.

Canada’s Parliament passed a non-binding motion on Monday on the Gaza conflict calling on the government to prevent any further approval of the export or transfer of arms to Israel.

This issue caused divisions within the Liberal Party bloc led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Three of the party’s representatives voted against the proposal, and one of them said he was reconsidering his future within the party.

Steve McKinnon, the ruling Liberal Party lawmaker responsible for the discipline of his party’s MPs in parliament, said it was an emotionally charged issue across the country, and that comes through in our discussions.

Canada, a small arms supplier to Israel, said last week that it had temporarily halted exports of combat weapons since January due to the rapidly evolving situation on the ground.

Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian and human rights advocates filed a lawsuit to prevent Ottawa from allowing the export of military equipment and technology to Israel.

The group said that since the October 7 attack by Hamas, Canada has approved permits worth at least 28.5 million Canadian dollars ($21 million), exceeding the value of permits it approved the previous year.

Israel is among the largest importers of Canadian arms, receiving C$21 million worth of military equipment in 2022, according to a Radio-Canada report, followed by shipments worth $26 million in 2021, placing it among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.