QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of National Defence
Export Regimes
November 7, 2024
Minister, thank you for being here. Your government has suspended the issuance of new permits for exports of military equipment to Israel because of the possibility that Canada might be complicit in war crimes.
In light of new information that is, in fact, credible evidence of war crimes in Gaza, is your government willing to remove even further the export permits for arms to Israel?
Minister, are you voting right now?
Actually, I was listening very carefully to the question, but if you don’t mind, I would also just do a little bit of work, if I may.
Thank you for your question.
First, Canada has one of the most rigorous arms export regimes of any country in the world. It is the responsibility of Global Affairs Canada, or GAC, to administer that.
I can tell you, because I’ve sought information on this, that at the outset of the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, steps were taken in January of this year to suspend the issuance of all new arms exports permits that were applied for. The numbers were not significant. There have been no new permits since that time.
Canada is also careful about ensuring that our technologies and arms exports are used in a way we believe is consistent with the law of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions, which we have signed.
I’m not aware of any other considerations currently being made by GAC, but that’s a question better put to my colleague Minister Joly.
Since we have a rigorous arms export regime, can you confirm that none of our exports to the United States, through the Defense Security Cooperation agreement, are being diverted to Israel as media reports are suggesting? If they are, we would then be complicit in potential war crimes in Gaza.
If I may, our military export regime does not include our interactions with the United States. That’s governed under other legislation, but I take your point. I’ve also seen those media reports.
I have received some direct reassurance from the Secretary of Defense in the United States that is not, in fact, taking place. At the same time, I have no mechanism to verify that independently, so I wanted to be frank with you.
We do not have information that suggests our exports to the United States have subsequently been moved to or in any way shared with Israel during this period of time, but neither do I have the ability to assure you that they have not.
