U.S. arms sale circumvents Canadian ban

MPs slam loophole as Quebec-made shells sold to Israel

- MARK RAMZY

The opposition New Democrats are among a chorus of voices calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to block the $83-million sale of Canadian-made mortar cartridges by the U.S. to Israel.

The Canadian government is being accused of backpedaling on its promise to suspend arms exports to Israel, after the U.S. government announced a plan to sell made-in-Canada explosive mortar cartridges to the Israeli government.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved a sale to Israel of 50,400 explosive mortar cartridges worth about $83 million.

The cartridges are expected to be manufactured by Québec-based General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc. and delivered in 2026, pending congressional approval.

The proposed sale is drawing heavy criticism in Canada, as arms trade watchdogs allege a “loophole” in Ottawa’s military export rules will allow Canadian-made weapons to end up in Israel despite government policy. The federal government, meanwhile, says it wasn’t notified about the proposed sale before the announcement and it can’t speculate yet as it gathers more information.

The Trudeau government has not approved any new military export permits to Israel since January due to concerns about human rights violations in the Middle East war, and has long asserted that its policy has been to only authorize exports of “non-lethal” equipment.

Now, the opposition New Democrats, who prop up the minority Liberal government with a supply and-confidence agreement, are among a chorus of voices calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to block the sale.

“Mélanie Joly lied directly to my face when she told me that no more weapons from Canada would go to Israel,” Heather McPherson, the NDP’s foreign affairs critic, said in an interview. “That is absolutely appalling.”