By The Canadian Press

Citing U.S. loophole, NDP pitches tighter arms controls on Israel

Sep 4, 2025 | 1:00 AM

OTTAWA — NDP MP Jenny Kwan says she will ask Parliament to close a loophole that could allow the U.S. to purchase Canadian weapons for Israel, despite a ban on exporting various forms of arms to that country.

“It is about ensuring Canada is never complicit in atrocities,” Kwan told a Thursday news conference on Parliament Hill.

Ottawa and Washington have a defence production agreement that allows the U.S. to buy some Canadian arms and send them abroad while bypassing some of Canada’s vetting protocols.

Kwan said she will table a bill later this month to end that workaround.

“Closing this loophole is about making our words mean something, about refusing to profit from bloodshed and the killings of civilians,” she said.

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The government was criticized last fall when the U.S. announced plans to send Quebec-made ammunition to Israel, a sale that Ottawa said ultimately did not proceed.

While Ottawa has restricted arms exports to Israel since early 2024, the Liberals originally said the ban applied to all lethal arms — before stating that sales of arms to Israel used to defend civilians would still be allowed.

In March 2024, Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding motion to halt new arms permits for Israel. The government pledged to follow that motion and launched a separate review of existing permits, freezing any that Ottawa said could result in Canadian arms reaching Gaza.

Ottawa has not restricted arms exported through existing permits for use in Israel and the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem — despite Canada accusing Israel of violating international law in those territories and the Gaza Strip.

Kwan said Ottawa needs to be much more transparent about its arms exports generally, and apply the same scrutiny to exports made through the U.S. that it would for arms destined for any other country.

“Every bullet that leaves Canada and lands in the hands of human-rights abusers is a betrayal of international law, of our commitments (and) of Canadians who want no part in war crimes,” she said.

Kwan said the NDP still wants a full arms embargo on Israel and that her bill is meant “to advance what we can.”

Ottawa’s arms exports to Israel have sparked controversy in recent months. Advocacy groups and 32 senators argued recently that Canada’s restrictions on arms reaching Gaza are not stringent enough and risk making it complicit in war crimes.

The government maintains that it has kept to its commitments and is not afraid to suspend or prosecute companies who breach the rules.

Israel has pushed back on the existing restrictions and insists that it is following international law in its military campaign against Hamas, launched in response to the group’s deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel’s closest allies have since warned that the country’s bombardment of Gaza is disproportionate. In July, U.S. President Donald Trump joined multiple Western leaders in saying that Israeli policies have caused starvation, and a growing body of experts say Israel is carrying out a genocide.

After a torrent of criticism this summer, Ottawa revealed that it has allowed exports to Israel involving technology for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system and “paintball-style projectiles” that the Israel Tax Authority had labelled as “bullets.”

Documents unearthed by activists through access-to-information law suggest Canada issued two new export permits in February for sending arms to Israel — despite the government saying it would respect the non-binding March 2024 motion in Parliament.

Global Affairs Canada has not responded to a request for comment on the new permits.

Last month, the Ottawa-based defence and technology company Calian said it had voluntarily halted exports to the region following media reports on shipments of antennas it had sent to Israel. The antennas, which don’t require an arms export permit, can be used for both military and agriculture purposes.

In a separate media conference Thursday on Parliament Hill, advocates presented contrasting visions of how Ottawa should address the crisis in the Middle East.

Taha Ghayyur, head of Justice For All Canada, called on Canada to formally acknowledge a genocide is taking place in Gaza.

“How long must a people starve before Canada says the word? How many bodies must be buried beneath rubble before the liberal democracies muster the courage to name the crime?” he told the news conference.

“We know why they hesitate. Because naming the crime means confronting inaction.”

At a separate news conference Thursday, the lawyer for a dual Canadian and Palestinian national who filed a complaint with the UN alleging mistreatment by the Palestinian Authority called on Ottawa to impose new conditions on recognizing Palestinian statehood.

Samir Freij’s allegations include unlawful detainment and corruption. The Palestinian General Delegation to Canada did not offer The Canadian Press an immediate comment.

Freij’s lawyer Barbara Bedont said Canada should make its recognition of Palestinian statehood conditional on clearer benchmarks for reform, and on ending her client’s legal saga.

“The Canadian government needs to use this opportunity, first of all to protect Mr. Freij’s rights, as well as to advance the rule of law in Palestine,” she said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada will recognize a Palestinian state this month if the West Bank’s governing body commits to an election in 2026 and other democratic and anticorruption reforms.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press