Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly recently announced that Canada will suspend arms exports to Israel. This move follows a non-binding decision made by the House of Commons. The Canadian newspaper The Star reported that in the last three months of 2020, Canada exported weapons worth CAD 28.5 million to Israel.
According to foreign media sources, Joly stated: The Trudeau government will halt future arms exports to Israel, despite the House of Commons’ proposal on Monday calling for such action to be non-binding.
Despite the New Democratic Party (NDP) ‘s demand for the “formal recognition” of the State of Palestine, Minister Joly emphasized Canada’s continued support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. However, she did not indicate any immediate changes to Canada’s foreign policy.
Joly strongly defended the government’s response to the conflict in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians. Meanwhile, Members of Parliament debated an NDP proposal urging the Liberals to recognize the Palestinian state.
During her recent trip to the region, Joly said that working towards a path to lasting peace was a priority on her agenda.
