Montreal, October 6, 2025 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Canadian government to ensure the safety and protection of Canadian citizens aboard the Sumud Flotilla, who were kidnapped in international waters and illegally detained by Israeli forces while attempting to reach Gaza.  

Israel’s devastating war on Gaza and the routine violence faced by Palestinians under military occupation have produced a catastrophic human toll, leading the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Israel to change its actions to prevent the “real and imminent risk” of genocide. The UN Human Rights Council and independent UN experts have called on all states to cease the sale and transfer of weapons to Israel immediately, or else risk complicity in war crimes or acts of genocide. Although Parliament voted in March 2024 in support of ending arms transfers to Israel, Canada’s actions to date have been limited and insufficient, allowing weapons to continue to flow to Israel. Canada cannot continue to export arms to Israel and maintain a close working relationship with the Israeli military so long as it is involved in egregious violations of international humanitarian law. Canada must use its diplomatic and economic leverage vis-a-vis Israel’s defense and security establishment to bring an immediate end to the violence.  

After 21 months half-truths and empty promises from the Liberal government on arms to Israel, NDP MP Jenny Kwan has announced a new Private Member's Bill that would close the loophole that allows Canadian arms to flow to Israel through the United States. For two years, the Liberal government has allowed arms manufacturers based in Canada to profit off genocide by sneaking weapons parts to Israel through the US, unregulated and unreported. These components are used to build full weapons systems like F-35s or Apache Attack Helicopters, which are then sent to Israel. This has been possible because of a giant loophole in our export laws. When Canada updated our laws in 2019 to align with the Arms Trade Treaty, the Liberals intentionally left the US loophole open, and corporations have exploited this weakness to maintain trade with a genocidal state. MP Jenny Kwan’s new private member's bill, the No More Loopholes Act, aims to solve this problem in our legislation by amending Canada’s Export and Import Permit Act and helping to end Canada’s complicity in genocide. Will you join us in sending an email to your local MP demanding they support MP Kwan's bill to close the US loophole?

ICC Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant Factsheet Series No. 250, created: December 2024, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East   View factsheet in PDF format CJPME Factsheet 250, published December 2024: This factsheet outlines the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant. It outlines the alleged crimes, explores the questions of immunity and complementarity, and explains Canada's legal responsibilities to comply with the warrants.