Israel’s ambassador to Canada won’t say whether this week’s motion in the House of Commons to halt future arms exports to his country will actually have an impact on the war with Hamas.
Iddo Moed says the vote was “really disturbing for many Israelis,” particularly at a time when they remain traumatized by the group that Canada considers a terrorist organization.
Most Liberal MPs joined New Democrats in supporting a motion Monday calling on Canada to stop its military exports to Israel, for fear that the war in the Gaza Strip would cause too many Palestinian casualties.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly also confirmed media reports that Canada had stopped approving permits in early January for human rights reasons.
Israel’s foreign minister said the vote would undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself.
But Mr. Moed would not say whether the motion would actually harm Israel’s military campaign.
“I don’t think it’s a subject I would like to discuss at the moment,” he replied Wednesday.
“No matter what, we are a strong country, we have a strong army, and I don’t think it’s a big thing to understand that we will be able to continue to defend ourselves. »
Companies can still apply for permits to export military goods, but Ottawa will not make a decision at this time, the office said.me Joly.
Monday’s motion related to weapons, but officials say it applies to all military goods and technology subject to Canadian licensing rules, such as radars or cameras.
Respect for human rights
Before the motion was passed on Monday, Minister Joly told the Commons that Canada had not approved any military licenses to export goods to Israel since January 8.
This is due to “our inability to confirm that human rights are being respected and, of course, that the requirements of our export regime will be met,” she explained.
Asked about this concern, Mr. Moed said he could not comment on how Canadian authorities assess these situations, but he maintained that Israel respects human rights.
“I don’t think the situation on the ground has changed significantly,” he said of the policy change in January.
“From our perspective, we have been defending human rights since day one; we have ensured that we respect all our international obligations at all times,” he assured.
He added that this involves trying to get “as much aid as possible” to Gaza and “ensuring that as many Palestinians (as possible) remain out of danger, at all times.”
Ottawa and Washington have argued that Israel is not doing enough to limit the number of casualties and ensure sufficient aid reaches Palestinian civilians.
Monday’s motion caused friction within the Liberal caucus, with three MPs voting against it, including one who is considering his future within the party.