**Melanie Joly’s Bold Stance on Arms Exports to Israel: A Closer Look**
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, made headlines this week with her announcement that she had suspended « about thirty » export permits for military goods to Israel this summer. Speaking to the press during a Liberal Party caucus meeting in British Columbia, Minister Joly also hinted at her government’s opposition to the transfer of mortar shells manufactured by Quebec-based company General Dynamics to Israel via the United States.
**Suspension of Permits: A Closer Examination**
While Minister Joly did not specify which companies held the 30 suspended permits, she also did not elaborate on the types of military items covered by these permits. According to documents released in July by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, there were 210 active export permits authorizing the sale of military goods to « end users » in Israel, including Israeli arms companies. Some of these permits do not expire until the end of 2025.
« We want the permits to be cancelled, » stated Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher with Project Ploughshares, a disarmament watchdog group.
In March, the Trudeau government announced that it had stopped approving new export permits for military items to Israel as of January 8. However, the government did not revoke existing permits, allowing Canadian companies holding such permits to continue sending goods to Israel and Israeli arms companies.
**Challenges in Blocking Transfers via the United States**
Last month, the US State Department announced a potential $61 million contract for the sale of 50,000 mortar shells to Israel. General Dynamics, with its plant in Repentigny, is the primary manufacturer of these munitions. This announcement highlighted a significant loophole in the Trudeau government’s claims that it had paused the issuance of new export permits for military equipment to Israel. It appears that the measure did not apply to goods being shipped to Israel via the United States or other third countries.
During her recent statement, Minister Joly did not explicitly promise to block this potential arms transfer. However, she asserted, « we will not allow any form of weapons or weapon parts to be sent to Gaza, » before stating that her department was in communication with General Dynamics.
« The department is in contact with the parties involved in the potential sale of military equipment abroad by the United States, » responded Global Affairs Canada to The Maple. « Global Affairs Canada does not comment on specific permit requests or permits. »
**The Exact Words**
Here is Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly’s complete statement made in English last Tuesday.
« First and foremost, our policy has been clear since January 8: we have not approved any form of arms export permits to Israel. »
« I have instructed my services to review all existing permits for weapons or weapon parts that could have been sent to Israel. As a result of this, this summer, I suspended approximately 30 permits from Canadian companies in force, and we are questioning these companies. »
« With regard to General Dynamics, our policy is clear: we will not allow any form of weapons or weapon parts to be sent to Gaza, period. How and where they are sent is not relevant. My position is clear, the government’s position is clear, and we are in contact with General Dynamics. » The minister did not say if other existing permits could be suspended.
**Gaza… and the West Bank?**
Minister Melanie Joly’s recent statement specifically refers to Israel’s use of military equipment in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is currently conducting a brutal bombing campaign that has so far killed at least 41,000 Palestinians and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave.
However, Israel is also intensifying its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank, where Israeli raids have killed at least 692 people, including 159 children, since last October.
The International Court of Justice is currently examining Israel’s war against Gaza as a potential case of genocide. It also issued an advisory opinion in July, stating that Israel’s presence in the occupied territories was illegal and must cease « as soon as possible. »
**Gaps in Regulations**
Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher with Project Ploughshares, expressed concerns about the regulatory process that the Canadian government could use to stop the potential transfer of General Dynamics’ munitions.
Indeed, the goods would likely be exported without Israel being designated by the company as the « end user, » as General Dynamics would instead deliver the munitions to the United States.
« Does the Canadian government suspend or terminate existing permits, or is this some kind of piecemeal arrangement? » Gallagher also questioned.
« The fear is that it may ultimately be a one-off case in response to the media attention on these arms sales. But if the shipment of mortar shells to the US poses a risk, this risk also exists in the transfer of other types of weapons through the US. »
Gallagher cited the example of parts made in Canada being sent to the US, then integrated into F-35 fighter jets there. The completed aircraft are then sold to other countries, including Israel, which has used this type of aircraft in its bombings in Gaza.
« Suspending permits is a step in the right direction, a step beyond suspending [new] permit approvals. But it is also an insufficient step, as we want existing permits to be revoked, » explained Kelsey Gallagher.
For him, the fact that the General Dynamics contract could even be considered illustrates Canada’s inadequate regulations on military goods shipped to other countries via the United States.
« Seeing the Canadian government struggle to address this very serious issue after a foreign government announced the contract is embarrassing. It shows the extent of the flaws in Canadian regulations. »
