RANT: WHEN WILL IT STOP?

 

👉ARMING ISRAEL—On 18 March 2024 our FOREIGN MINISTER, Melanie Joly, announced that Canada is halting exports of military goods to Israel in protest over that country’s bombing campaign in Gaza. The non-binding legislation stated Canada would “cease the further authorization and transfer of future arms exports to Israel.” Which looks good, but we should note the original proposal demanded the suspension “of all trade in military goods and technology with Israel.” Which seems a little stiffer, with less wiggle room. It all depends on how you define “arms”, I guess. And it’s important to remember that so-called non-lethal military equipment is a bit of a scam: Components, spare parts, communication equipment, etc. can, and are, used to perform lethal military operations. Note also that the original proposal called for a ban on arms shipments exported and imported from Israel—a two-way embargo. This was changed to just a one-way export ban in the final draft. In addition, Canadian firms export a variety of military equipment and spare parts to the U.S. that could then be ‘forwarded’ to Israel, presumably by-passing Ottawa’s new export regulations. Canadian firms that manufacture military equipment for export must apply for export permits. These permits, with respect to Israeli sales, Joly states, will not be issued, going forward.

 

“Despite the non-binding nature of the document, Joly confirmed that the government will cease the transfer of weapons to Israel. ‘It is a real thing,’ she said, answering a reporter’s question.” (RT)

 

THE NEW ARMS REGULATION was part of a larger NDP initiative calling on Israel to "work with international partners to pursue the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace [...] as part of a negotiated two-state solution". Again, it was watered down from the original text which called for Canada to “officially recognize the state of Palestine.” Another section would have imposed sanctions “on Israeli officials who incite genocide." [My italics. Ed.] New language in the bill limited sanctions only to "extremist [Israeli] settlers", primarily in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and does not use the word “genocide”.   

 

“The original motion was proposed by NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona Heather MacPherson, calling for the House to demand ceasefire and release of hostages, suspend military trade to Israel, ending the occupation of Palestine and recognizing Palestinian statehood.” (Press Progress)

 

AS for the arms export ban, Canada’s Foreign Minister says, "it's a real thing”. Let’s hope so, Melanie.

 

CANADA  had previously called for a “humanitarian pause”* so relief supplies can be distributed to the captive Palestinian population, now crammed into the northern corner of the enclave. But, in this initiative, NDP, Greens, Bloc Québécois, as well as some Liberal parliamentarians call for Canada to support a “ceasefire” to end the conflict. So that's an improvement.

Since December, Canada has pledged $40 million for Gazan aid to be shared with several international relief organizations in addition to its annual $25 million United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) pledge. Recall that in February, Canada, among several Western countries including the United States, said it would withhold funds to the UN agency when claims were made by Israel—still unsubstantiated—accusing members of UNRWA of working with Hamas during the 7 October raids that killed 1100 to 1200 Israelis, with over 200 kidnapped. Canada has subsequently reinstated its funding of UN aid agency. The United States, the largest donor-nation for UNRWA with an annual contribution of over $300 million, has yet to do so. 

 

    Chart from IFPRI

And, unconscionably, a recent bill before the American congress proposes a funding freeze until March of next year! Note that UNRWA “provides vital services to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the Middle East.” (Aljazeera). This can only exacerbate the famine conditions occurring now in Gaza. As we witness every day, getting relief aid into Gaza has been greatly hampered by the conflict, both at the border and inside Gaza, with so much of its infrastructure destroyed and where people are growing desperate.⁺

 

IN TERMS of the arms embargo, the Conservative opposition is in the pro-Israel camp, urging Canada to supply Israel with whatever munitions it can. The Liberals, with NDP support, passed the NDP-sponsored arms embargo legislation. Since January, civil society activists and agencies like Oxfam Canada, Save the Children, Amnesty International, and a roster of NGOs have urged Canada to stop exporting arms to Israel. In March, the federal government seems to have listened and is taking steps to stop the flow of military equipment.¹ Stay tuned.

 

Cheers, Jake.______________________________________

 

* For a short discussion on the difference between a “humanitarian pause” and a “ceasefire” read the Oxfam explainer, here.

 

+ One reason that only a trickle of aid trucks get in is that Israeli extremist settlers are protesting at the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, blocking and slowing down relief trucks from entering. Also, the onerous inspection regimes of Israeli authorities slow the thousands of aid trucks queued in line at the Egyptian/Israeli. They are ‘slow walking’ aid supplies into Gaza where people are literally starving to death. If it wasn’t for videos shared on social media forums and podcasts that bring to light the ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies of Israel with respect to Palestinians, I would find such a thing hard to believe. How utterly wrong and immoral.  

 

1.    But not before sending $28 million dollars of military equipment to Israel following the Hamas attacks last year, more than the previous year’s shipments. “This means that Canada approved more exports of military goods to Israel in just the first three months of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza than in any single year in the last 30 years.” (CJPME)

 

 

     

 

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