Canadian Diplomat Letter Urges Mark Carney to Sanction Israel
Nearly 200 former Canadian diplomat officials are pressing Prime Minister Mark Carney to impose robust sanctions on Israel. Their late Thursday letter says Canada should review its trade agreement with Israel and warn that a strategic partnership agreement could be suspended if conditions do not improve.
The appeal comes after Canada recognized the State of Palestine last September, and the former diplomats say the situation has worsened since then. They tie their case to restrictions on aid and journalists in Gaza, expanding settlements in the West Bank, and what they call a high civilian death toll in Lebanon.
Letter to Ottawa
The letter asks the federal government to take a harder line through trade and legal pressure. It says Canada should also take legal action against Canadian companies that bid on or help build settlements Canada says are illegal under international law, and accelerate efforts to revoke charitable status for groups supporting settlements or funding for the Israeli military.
It also calls on Canada to provide unequivocal support for actions taken by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice on allegations of war crimes and genocidal acts in the region. Those requests go beyond a diplomatic statement and point to measures that could affect Canadian companies, charities, and the federal government’s posture toward international courts.
Israel and Lebanon claims
The diplomats say Israel is restricting aid and journalists from reaching the Gaza Strip and that, despite a declared ceasefire, the Israeli government continues to impede humanitarian aid, destroy civilian infrastructure including hospitals and water facilities, and kill and injure hundreds of Palestinians, many of whom are women and children. In the same letter, they say the razing of entire towns and the high civilian death toll in Lebanon amount to a serious violation of international law.
“It is evident that without robust international sanctions the Israeli government will persist in disregarding international law and human rights and will press forward with its plans to expand settlements,” the former Canadian diplomats wrote in the letter sent to media outlets late Thursday. They added: “While Canada recognizes Israel’s legitimate security concerns regarding Hezbollah, the razing of entire towns and the high civilian death toll is a serious violation of international law,” and, “Despite a declared ceasefire, the Israeli government continues to impede humanitarian aid to Gaza and to destroy civilian infrastructure including hospitals and water facilities while killing and injuring hundreds of Palestinians, many of whom are women and children.”
Carney, Moed, and Friday's silence
Mark Carney is the target of the appeal because the letter asks his government to act now, not later, on sanctions and trade. Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, declined to comment on Friday, and Global Affairs Canada said it would provide a statement but had not done so by deadline.
The pressure on Ottawa follows a similar letter last July that demanded Canada halt all arms trade with Israel. This one goes further by asking for trade review, suspension language tied to a strategic partnership agreement, and legal measures against Canadian companies and charities linked to settlements or military support.
For now, the issue sits with the federal government: whether to answer the diplomats’ call with sanctions, keep current policy in place, or respond with a narrower statement after the late Thursday appeal. The next move depends on Ottawa, and the former diplomats have already laid out the consequences they want it to consider.
