New Democrats oppose Canadian weapons going to Israel through the United States

OTTAWA - New Democrats are horrified by reports that a Canadian manufacturer is preparing to sell explosives to the Israeli military, via the United States.

“Canada must not be fuelling the ongoing genocide in Gaza with Canadian-made weapons,” said NDP foreign affairs critic, MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona). “By refusing to end arms sales to Israel, including by allowing loopholes to send weapons through the United States, Canada could potentially be complicit in war crimes.”

For years, New Democrats have been fighting to close the loophole in Canada’s arms exports regime that permits Canadian weapons to go through the United States unreported and uncontrolled, often to be transferred on to countries with poor human rights records like Saudi Arabia or, in this case, Israel.

New Democrats brought a motion to Parliament in March, forcing the Liberal government to vote to end all further arms transfers to Israel. However, since March, shipments of military goods and technology have continued to Israel, and without a clear Notice to Exporters indicating the end of these arms exports, manufacturers have no restrictions on sending weapons either to Israel or via the United States.

“Forty thousand people, almost half of them children, have been killed in Gaza over the past ten months. Canada can not permit the sale of explosives, weapons or arms of any kind to Netanyahu’s government,” said McPherson. “The International Court of Justice has been clear. Canada must do everything it can to prevent the risk of genocide– and that must include ending arms sales to Israel. The Liberal government promised Canadians that they would act. No more delays, no more lies. The time to act to save lives is now.”

For the past months, New Democrats have been fighting for stronger actions for Canada to bring justice, peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. This includes supporting a two-way arms embargo on military goods and technology with Israel. McPherson also forced the Liberal government to provide details on exports to Israel, via the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Earlier this week a British diplomat resigned in protest of UK arms exports policy to Israel.