Canada’s response to the Gaza crisis, the Golden Dome delusion and Israel’s attack on Iran

CANADA MUST TAKE ACTION NOW TO HELP END GAZA NIGHTMARE

19 May joint statement promises “concrete actions” if Israel does not change course in Gaza and the West Bank

If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response. – May 19 joint statement by Canada, France and UK

On 19 May 2025, Canada, France and the UK issued a joint statement promising “concrete actions” if Israel did not act immediately in three areas:

  • Ceasing its renewed military offensive in Gaza;
  • Lifting its humanitarian aid restrictions; and
  • Ending further expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

On Gaza’s future, the communiqué also stated:

We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel and the United States to finalize consensus on arrangements for Gaza’s future, building on the Arab plan. We affirm the important role of the High-Level Two-State Solution Conference at the UN in June in building international consensus around this aim.

On the future of Palestine, the statement read:

And we are committed to recognizing a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end.

For an expert Canadian commentary on this welcome statement, see Mark Carney was right to stand up to Benjamin Netanyahu by Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in global politics and international law at the University of British Columbia (theglobeandmail.com/opinion, 26 May 2025).

Joint donor statement on humanitarian aid in Gaza

On the same day, a joint statement was issued by Canada, 22 other countries and 3 EU entities, representing the majority of the Western humanitarian donor community.  It called on the Government of Israel to

allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organizations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.

The statement specifically rejected the so-called “new model” for aid delivery into Gaza, supported only by Israel and the US, as inadequate and contrary to basic humanitarian principles.

Israel doubles down on military offensive and denial of meaningful aid  

Gaza’s survival requires ending both the war and the starvation policy Israel deems essential to victory. – International Crisis Group commentary of 6 June 2025

Since the issuance of those two joint statements to which Canada was a signatory, Israel has doubled down on its grossly illegal actions in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

See, for example, the chilling commentary by the International Crisis Group, entitled The Starvation Experiment (9 June 2025). See also Jonathan Cook on the Israeli arming of criminal gangs to intensify the breakdown of law and order in Gaza as part of its unbelievably cruel militarization of essential life-saving aid.

Civil society open letter on Gaza nightmare: Canada must act now

We write because of the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, now into its twentieth month, which is broadly understood by international law experts and leading human rights organizations as constituting genocide. – 9 June open letter to PM Carney on Gaza

 On 9 May 2025 an Open Letter was sent to Prime Minister Carney. Its authors described themselves as:

a group of 412 [now up to 492] professors of law and lawyers with backgrounds in international law and human rights; academics with demonstrated expertise in international relations, justice and human rights; civil society, faith and labour movement leaders; and former and retired ministers, diplomats and public servants who have worked over many decades to advance Canada’s global interests.  (Included in that list is RI President Peggy Mason and Board Member Kathleen Ruff.)

The urgent need for immediate action was highlighted:

We write with a sense of unprecedented urgency, which only deepens as the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly Gaza, worsens hourly.

We commend the letter in its entirety to our readers, particularly its summary of Canada’s international legal obligations, which includes the following statement:

We remind you that there exists a clear and unambiguous legal obligation on parties to the Genocide Convention, which obviously includes Canada, to prevent genocide where there is a risk of it being committed. It cannot be said with any semblance of rationality that no such risk has existed for the last twenty months.

 Civil society open letter urges concrete action by Canada in 5 key areas

Canada must do everything in its power to stop these atrocities and support efforts to bring those responsible to account. This is what our signatures on the 1948 Genocide Convention and the 1998 Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court demand.

The open letter urges Canada to take the following actions, both unilaterally and jointly with partners, including at the then-upcoming G7 Summit, which Canada will host:

  • Work actively towards an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the release of all Israeli and Palestinian captives.
    • There must now be consequences for the consistent failure and refusal to comply with those demands.
  • Insist on full humanitarian access to Gaza in a manner in keeping with core humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and demand that the Israeli ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) be completely lifted.
  • Publicly support the role of and fully comply with international courts in holding to account those who violate international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel.
    • This should include (1) developing a plan of action to ensure Canada complies with the ICJ’s 2024 Advisory Opinion regarding the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; (2) making a clear public statement confirming Canada’s commitment to enforcing arrest warrants issued by the ICC; and (3) working with other governments to refer concerns about the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank to the ICC Prosecutor.
  • Pursue all possible domestic measures, including:
    • immediately withdrawing from the free trade agreement between Canada and Israel, which is now in breach of fundamental international norms;
    • imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders and other individuals suspected of involvement in atrocity crimes including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich;
    • opening investigations into charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (including any Canadians or dual nationals involved in such crimes) with the aim of prosecuting offenders in Canada or other jurisdictions;
    • enforcing a full and comprehensive two-way arms ban between Canada and Israel, including all Canadian arms, parts or components and ‘dual-use’ objects transferred to Israel via the United States or any other third country;
    • appointing an independent expert to investigate and ensure that any organization with Canadian charitable status that has provided financial or other support for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes is stripped of that status; and
  • Without further delay, join the 149 states who recognize the State of Palestine and support all efforts for Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the United Nations.

The civil society open letter to PM Carney states in closing:

Prime Minister, there is no question as to which side of history Canada belongs. Because of Canada’s proclaimed “shared values” and close relationship with Israel, Ottawa must spare no effort to bring the genocide in Gaza, and the war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to an immediate end.

Upholding international law is the only avenue through which not only peace, justice and human rights, but the durable, long-term security of Israelis and Palestinians alike will be achieved.

RCMP investigation into war crimes related to the Israel-Hamas conflict

Ben Musset of the Toronto Star reported on 2 June 2025 that the RCMP had been investigating potential war crimes related to the Israel-Hamas conflict since early 2024. This marks the first time that Canada has dedicated tangible resources to investigating international crimes in the Palestinian territories and Israel.

The investigation was only made public in early June. Mark Kersten, an assistant professor in criminal justice, writing in the Globe and Mail, notes the stark difference between Canada’s approach to this investigation and that relating to Ukraine:

When Canada opened its structural investigation into Ukraine, it did so with a great deal of publicity. Why did that not happen with the investigation into the Israel-Hamas war? Was it only acknowledged now because patience with the Netanyahu government is running thin?

The article underscores the complete lack of transparency to date and makes recommendations on the appropriate scope and potential utility of the investigation.

 Canada sanctions two Israeli cabinet ministers

On 10 June 2025, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada had joined with four other allies (UK, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand) in sanctioning two far-right Israeli government ministers for

their crucial role in facilitating the significant expansion of settlements and outposts in the West Bank, offering political cover to perpetrators of settler violence, and actively contributing to a more permissive environment for higher levels of harassment and violence by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians.

David Baxter’s reporting in the Toronto Star on the sanctions, which could lead to asset freezes and travel bans, included the following assessment:

The decision by Western governments friendly to Israel was a sharp rebuke of Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank and of settler violence….

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the sanctions and urged the countries to reverse course.

Retired diplomat Jon Allen: These ministerial sanctions are significant

While acknowledging that the travel bans and asset freezes will likely have little direct effect on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, former Canadian Ambassador to Israel John Allen wrote in the Globe and Mail on 11 June 2025:

[I]t is the act of sanctioning a minister in a sitting government that is significant. It sends a clear signal that racism, ethnic cleansing, the illegal annexation of territory, the withholding of humanitarian aid to 2.1 million people, and clear efforts on the ground to deny the possibility of a two-state solution, are morally unacceptable and contrary to international law.

Allen is contending that, while Canada has explicitly sanctioned these two ministers, who are a crucial part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s shaky coalition government, for their West Bank depredations, they are implicitly being sanctioned for their illegal actions in Gaza as well.

He continues:

This [action] is important, especially because historically Israel was a country with whom Canada and the other signatories to the statement have shared fundamental liberal democratic values.

He concludes:

Something has gone very wrong in Israel and it is likely that these sanctions are just the beginning. A number of other states are now likely to join Canada and say to Mr. Netanyahu, “enough is enough.” Will it eventually force him to end the war? I hope so.

Haaretz senior columnist Gideon Levy calls for sanctions on “Israel in its entirety”

Gideon Levy, writing in the paywalled Israeli Haaretz newspaper, mocked what he called a “tiny, sad step” by the UK, Canada and others, asking:

Do they really believe this punishment will have some sort of effect on Israel’s moves?

Instead, he called for sanctions against “Israel in its entirety,” arguing that poll after Israeli poll showed majority support for treating all Palestinians in Gaza as the enemy.

British MP contrasts Western responses in Ukraine versus Gaza

A recent post on X by British MP Richard Burgon contrasts Western timidity on Israel with their response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine:

Latest Situation Report on Gaza

Click HERE for the 13 June 2025 UNRWA Situation Report #175 on the Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, bearing in mind while reading it that Israel has deliberately engineered this catastrophic situation and the almost unimaginable suffering it has engendered.

Whither Canada?

We call on the Government of Canada to urgently move forward with the concrete steps outlined in the civil society open letter on Gaza of 9 June and, in particular to:

  • Work actively towards an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the release of all Israeli and Palestinian captives.
  • Insist on full humanitarian access to Gaza and demand that the Israeli ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency be completely lifted.
  • Publicly support the role of and fully comply with international courts in holding to account those who violate international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel.
  • Pursue all possible domestic measures, including
    • immediately withdrawing from the free trade agreement between Canada and Israel;
    • imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders and other individuals suspected of involvement in atrocity crimes;
    • deepening RCMP investigations into charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (including any Canadians or dual nationals involved in such crimes) with the aim of prosecuting offenders in Canada or other jurisdictions;
    • enforcing a full and comprehensive two-way arms ban;
    • appointing an independent expert to investigate and ensure that any organization with Canadian charitable status that has provided financial or other support for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes is stripped of that status; and
  • Without further delay, join the 149 states who recognize the State of Palestine and support all efforts for Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the United Nations.

CANADA AND THE GOLDEN DOME

Statement by Canadian Pugwash Group on Trump’s Golden Dome delusion

A second extraordinary civil society statement — this time from the Canadian Pugwash Group — was sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney on 1 June under a covering letter available HERE.

That letter begins:

As outlined in the statement that follows (Flawed in Principle and Practice: Why Canada Must Say No to ‘Golden Dome’), we believe that participation in this unproven, costly, and destabilizing scheme would undermine Canada’s strategic interests, global reputation, and longstanding support for arms control and multilateralism.

Instead, the letter and the statement encourage Canada

to reaffirm its commitment to NORAD modernization as a credible and cooperative contribution to continental defence. This approach supports Canadian sovereignty and security without fuelling arms races or weakening international norms.

Whither Canada?

We call on the Government of Canada to decline participation in the Golden Dome initiative and instead reaffirm its commitment to NORAD modernization and Canada’s vital surveillance and early warning role therein.

ISRAEL AND IRAN

Israel begins a long-planned series of attacks on Iran to degrade its nuclear & military infrastructure 

Overnight on 13 June Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and military infrastructure, with the attacks continuing into Friday. Since then, Iran has responded as has Israel, the latter promising much worse to come.

The stated Israeli justification for its actions is that Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons which, in turn, they argue would pose an existential threat to Israel. (Note that Israel is believed to possess over 100 nuclear weapons.)

However, as Doug Saunders wrote in the Globe and Mail on 13 June:

In March, the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Annual Threat Assessment, which summarizes the findings of 18 agencies, assessed that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon” – a conclusion it has reached in every annual assessment since 2003, when Iran abandoned its nuclear-weapons program.

On Friday, U.S. officials told Reuters that there has not been any change in that assessment.

That threat assessment can be found on page 26 of this linked official US document.

Against the wishes of the Israeli government, the Trump administration and Iran had been seeking a diplomatic solution to concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, with the next round of talks scheduled to begin on 15 June. It is widely believed the Israeli military action effectively scuppers these talks.

Independent experts are sharply critical of Israel’s attack on Iran

While most Western countries, including Canada, purport to justify Israel’s attacks as “self-defence”, independent expert opinion is sharply critical, calling the bombings both illegal under international law and counterproductive.

See for example the 13 June commentary in the prestigious Arms Control Today by three leading nuclear non-proliferation experts entitled Israel’s Illegal, Counterproductive Attacks Make a Nuclear-Armed Iran More Likely (arms control.org, Press Room).

It begins:

The illegal attack by Israel, a nuclear-armed state, against the Iranian leadership and nuclear sites may somewhat delay but cannot prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and is likely to have the opposite effect.

RI President Peggy Mason comments:

The US has demanded Iran forego all uranium enrichment but enriching uranium for civilian energy purposes is widely believed to be the right of every NPT member state. The real issue is limiting enrichment to a level consistent with peaceful, not military uses.

Pugwash Conferences on Science & World Affairs condemns Israeli military attacks on Iran

A statement issued on 14 June by the international umbrella organisation, of which the Canadian Pugwash Group is a part, also condemns Israeli actions, saying in part:

Pugwash strongly condemns the military attacks by Israel against Iran which began on June 13, resulting in the killing of civilians, scientists, and senior commanders, as well as damage and the destruction of nuclear facilities with the attendant risks posed to IAEA inspectors present.

This action represents a dangerous and unacceptable violation of international law and the norms of State sovereignty which significantly escalates tensions in a region already engulfed in multiple conflicts.

Crisis Group commentary highlights the danger of a regional conflagration

An even more sobering assessment of Israel’s actions comes from the International Crisis Group in their 13 June commentary Getting Israel and Iran to Hold Their Fire, where they write:

Israel’s far-ranging strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites – and now, Iran’s retaliation – have raised the risk of yet more open-ended war in the Middle East. Whether the region plunges into the abyss will largely depend on Washington’s next steps.

See also Strikes on Iran ease pressure on Israel to end starvation in Gaza (theguardian.com, 14 June 2025). Emma Graham-Harrison, the Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent, writes:

In the hours after Israel attacked Iran, food shipments and distribution in Gaza stopped and a French-Saudi summit meant to pave the way for wider recognition of a Palestinian state was postponed indefinitely.

International pressure over starvation and civilian killings in Gaza had apparently dissipated in little more than the time it took for the smoke of the first missile strikes to clear over Tehran.

Whither Canada?

Prime Minister Carney’s sensible calls for “maximum restraint”, “de-escalation and a move towards a diplomatic solution” were marred by the rote reaffirmation of Israel’s “right to defend itself and ensure its security” as if Iran, not Israel, had started the attacks.

The only Western foreign minister with the courage to say what needed to be said has been Norway’s Espen Eide. This statement appears on the Norwegian official government website:

Statement by Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Israel’s attacks on Iran

I condemn the military escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran. The attacks breach international law, increase regional tensions and threaten global security. They set back efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program. Deescalation is essential.

At the G7 Summit hosted by Canada in Kananaskis, Alberta Prime Minister Carney finessed a joint statement on Iran, endorsed by all 7 leaders which includes the following statement, highlighting de-escalation and diplomacy:

We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.

President Trump, who left the Summit early to address the accelerating conflict between Israel and Iran, continues to issue ultimatums to the Iranian leadership and to send conflicting signals on the degree of US involvement.

The question, therefore, has to be, given his track record, how meaningful is Trump’s signature on any joint statement?

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons – Les Chatfield (Flags of Canada, UK and France); Ashraf Amra (Gaza City)

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