HomeInternational NewsCanada criticized for arms sales to Israel amid Gaza conflict: experts concerned.

Canada criticized for arms sales to Israel amid Gaza conflict: experts concerned.

Montreal, Canada – This week, the United States has faced intense criticism for approving the sale of over $20 billion worth of additional weapons to Israel, while the American ally is engaged in conflict in the Gaza Strip. However, in Canada, the announcement made on Tuesday has attracted attention for another reason: more than $60 million worth of ammunition will be produced by a Canadian arms company in connection with this sale.

Canadian lawyers, human rights advocates, and experts have expressed concerns regarding the transparency of the country’s arms export regime. They highlight that Canada’s involvement in the arms deal clearly demonstrates that the country is failing to ensure that Canadian-made weapons are not used in alleged human rights violations abroad, as required by law.

“The news is disturbing,” said Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher at the Canadian peace research organization Project Ploughshares. “Given Israel’s troubling history of violating international humanitarian law, it is in no way appropriate for Canada to supply this ammunition.” Gallagher added that this is in violation of Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

But how can Canadian-manufactured munitions end up in Israel? According to experts, it is a special trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada that underpins the situation. Since the 1950s, the two North American neighbors have had “mutually beneficial terms” for military arms trade through a bilateral agreement known as the Defence Production Sharing Agreement. Today, the U.S. is Canada’s largest market for defense goods.

When Canada joined the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, the country aimed to ensure that its accession would not affect its long-standing arms export regime with the U.S. The ATT regulates the flow of arms and prohibits signatory countries from transferring weapons to another country if there is a plausible risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law.

“Canada has greatly benefited from its privileged defense relationship with the U.S., and it is important not to undermine this arrangement,” stated the Canadian government in a press release.

However, Canadian human rights advocates have criticized the lack of transparency in the system for years, labeling it a dangerous “loophole” in Canada’s arms export system. The ambiguity surrounding Canadian arms transfers to the U.S. is why the news that a company from Quebec would be the main supplier of ammunition to Israel came as a surprise to many.

Gallagher noted that Canadians likely would never have discovered that the weapons were on their way to Israel if the U.S. government had not disclosed the information itself. “These weapons will almost certainly not be subject to regulatory oversight by Canadian officials,” he said.

As Canada, along with other Western countries, faces escalating calls to impose an arms embargo against Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has been asked why existing licenses have not also been revoked. Joly had previously stated that the government would not approve new permits for arms exports to Israel.

Henry Off, a Toronto-based lawyer, pointed out that the news underscores how flawed Canada’s arms export system is. “We know that these weapons and parts are used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights,” he stated.

Canadian involvement in arms supplies to Israel has also raised concerns among Palestinian rights advocates in the U.S., who have been attempting for months to persuade President Biden to stop the arms transfers—without success. “The U.S. has lost its moral capital,” said Raed Jarrar, a lawyer, in an interview with Al Jazeera. “And Canada cannot rely on U.S. mechanisms for accountability.”

Jarrar emphasized that it is crucial for Canadian authorities to ensure that no weapons and equipment produced by Canadian companies contribute to abuses against Palestinians. “All countries, including Canada, have a moral, ethical, and legal obligation to break the supply chain to genocide,” he concluded.

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