The federal government has once again assured Parliament that Canada has not exported lethal military equipment to Israel, following renewed accusations linking Canadian-made arms to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Blacklock's Reporter says the latest clarification was issued in a report to the Senate defence committee, stating that only non-lethal items have been exported.“All permits issued for the export of military goods and technologies destined to Israel between October 7 and January 8, as well as all previously approved permits, are for non-lethal items,” the Department of National Defence informed senators. "The government has not approved any new permits since January 8."The reaffirmation comes after the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency's August 13 advisory, indicating that contractor General Dynamics had notified a "possible sale" of 50,000 mortar cartridges to Israel. These would be manufactured at the company's Repentigny, Quebec, plant but are not slated for delivery until 2026. Despite the long timeline, critics seized on this announcement as evidence of Canadian arms exports to Israel.On August 15, the news site The Maple argued that the General Dynamics contract "shatters the Trudeau government’s repeated claim that only non-lethal Canadian goods have been approved to make their way to Israel." The Green Party also condemned the possible sale, calling it "a disgrace."NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona), who has previously accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, criticized the government for failing to halt arms transfers and sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.“I have been asking for clear answers on military exports to Israel for a long time,” McPherson said, referencing claims that Canadian weapons are implicated in the deaths of thousands of children.Cabinet has consistently denied that any Canadian arms have been shipped to Israel in recent decades. “We haven’t exported arms to Israel in 30 years,” International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen reiterated to reporters in January. When asked if the government should stop exports of non-lethal equipment, Hussen responded, "We don’t export arms to Israel."A Department of Foreign Affairs report from August 23 supported this stance, showing that recent exports to Israel have been limited to non-lethal items like GPS anti-jam software and circuit boards. Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison noted that only four export permits for small arms were issued in the past 30 years, none of which included major conventional arms or light weapons."Permits issued by the department for items destined to Israel since October 7 have been for non-lethal equipment only," Morrison added, underscoring the government's position.
