A Time for Canada to Make a Decisive Stand with Israel
So will the Prime Minister end the arms embargo on Israel?
When Iran attacked Israel, an historical first time head-on confrontation between the two countries, the veil was lifted on many fronts. The proxy wars that Iran has been fighting through Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel became very clear. The importance of Israel’s presence in the Middle East became very clear.
When the US and UK stepped up with decisive support to help Israel intercept some of the Iranian missiles and drones en route to Israel, if it wasn't before, it should be very clear now that Israel has been fighting a war for the West against Iran, the common threat.
When you see Jordan, an Arab neighbour with a 2.3+ million Palestinian population also helping to intercept Iran’s attack, it’s difficult to refute that Iran is a common threat to peace among other sovereign Middle East nations, and Israel is also fighting their fight.
Meanwhile in Canada, on March 18, the NDPs passed a motion in the House of Commons that included a boycott of arms sales to Israel. The motion was passed with the support of NDP, Liberal, Bloc Québecois, and Green Party MPs. Some of them even applauded.
The following day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced a halt on arms sales to Israel. Following the news of Iran deploying drones and missiles to Israel, while the Prime Minister of Canada condemned Iran’s attack and affirmed Israel’s right to defend herself, he made no mention of offering weapons support to Israel.
So will Prime Minister Trudeau retract his arms embargo on Israel and support her defence against Iran and Iran’s proxy terrorists?
Terrorism is at the root of conflict in the Middle East and Iran is a leading sponsor. In a November 2023 report released by the US Bureau of Counterterrorism:
Iran continued to be the leading state sponsor of terrorism, facilitating a wide range of terrorist and other illicit activities around the world. In 2022, Iran increasingly encouraged and plotted attacks against the United States, including against former U.S. officials, in retaliation for the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) Commander Qasem Soleimani. In August an Iran-based IRGC member was charged with attempting to arrange the murder of a former U.S. National Security Advisor. Regionally, Iran supported acts of terrorism in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen through proxies and partner groups such as Hizballah and al-Ashtar Brigades. Globally, the IRGC-QF and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security remained Iran’s primary actors involved in supporting terrorist recruitment, financing, and plotting across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. — Country Reports on Terrorism 2022, Bureau of Counterterrorism, November 30, 2023
The current Israel-Hamas War is a proxy war in which Iran, through Hamas, set up a damning chess board for Israel and one upon which innocent civilian Palestinians are Hamas’s embattlement of human flesh. Before peace can be up for discussion, the threat of terrorism in the Middle East needs to be dealt with.
About a month after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, the US Department of Treasury released a public statement on coordinated US and UK actions against Hamas leaders and financiers:
“The United States will continue to work with our partners, including the U.K., to deny Hamas the ability to raise and use funds to carry out its atrocities,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. “Hamas’s actions have caused immense suffering and shown that terrorism does not occur in isolation. Together with our partners we are decisively moving to degrade Hamas’s financial infrastructure, cut them off from outside funding, and block the new funding channels they seek to finance their heinous acts.”—United States and United Kingdom Take Coordinated Action Against Hamas Leaders and Financiers, November 14, 2023
The US and UK have been decisive in their stand with Israel and in their efforts against terror. Regardless of any historical grievances that may fester at the root of Israel’s surrounding nations, peace in the Middle East is being hampered by proxy terrorism sponsored by the Iranian Regime. That’s what the Israel-Hamas War is ultimately about.
At the wake of Iran’s attack on Israel, Persian and Iranian Canadians stand with Jewish Canadians in solidarity for the return of hostages from Hamas at the Vancouver Art Gallery in British Columbia. It’s a beautiful picture of multiculturalism that works, where the hostilities of foreign conflict is left abroad and diaspora communities are united by a common love for freedom, peace and democracy. This is the Canada we need to promote and protect.
“It is important also for countries like Canada to evaluate what it means when they’re standing next to Israel at this point in time. . . Iran needs to see a strong global reaction against this aggression.”—Iddo Moed, Israeli Ambassador to Canada, CTV Question Period, April 14, 2024
As conflict continues to threaten peace in the Middle East, there is no time more urgent than now to be certain about who we are as a democracy and who are allies are. Israel is an ally who’s been fighting a lonely war with opponents of Western democracy. The least we can do is stop vilifying her. What we should really do is stand decisively with her through fire and water. That is the most common sense first step to helping promote peace in the Middle East.
It is dangerous for Canada not to have a clear stand for Israel. The alternative is enabling a culture of terrorism to proliferate, even on domestic soil. We’ve already made Canada an easy target for foreign interference. This is where we draw the line. Enough is enough.
If Canada values democracy and national sovereignty, the choice is clear.
Nelly Shin
Former Member of Canada’s Parliament
Related Links:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/we-will-hit-back-israeli-ambassador-to-canada-on-potential-response-to-iran-s-attack-1.6846494
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/world/middleeast/jordan-israel-iran-drones.html
https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1907
The majority of the flags are Persian imperial
Flags and the Israeli ones are probably Iranians that support Israel
Thank you for this excellent article, Nellie! If our current government won't be unequivocal in its stands with Israel, we will just be inviting more terrorists and their supporters - who hate both Jews and the West - into our country. We are viewed as a pushover by those who despise and use us.