Canada–Israel Relations

Canada and Israel maintain full diplomatic relations supported by embassies, recurring official consultations, trade agreements, defense cooperation, research links, and extensive connections between their peoples.[3][4] The Canada–Israel Free Trade Agreement and the strategic partnership established during Stephen Harper’s 2014 visit became important institutional foundations for the relationship.[6][4]

The partnership has coexisted with policy differences. Canadian governments have supported Israel at important diplomatic moments while also taking positions on settlements, Palestinian statehood, arms exports, sanctions, and international legal proceedings that Israeli governments opposed.[4][7]

Canada’s involvement in international deliberations over Palestine’s future began before Israel’s establishment. Canada was one of 11 countries represented on the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP), formed in April 1947 to investigate communal unrest and recommend political arrangements. The committee majority proposed dividing the British Mandate into Arab and Jewish states joined by an economic union; a minority proposed a federal state. The Jewish Agency accepted partition, while the Arab Higher Committee for Palestine rejected it.[1]

Canadian Supreme Court justice Ivan C. Rand was central to drafting UNSCOP’s report, while diplomat Lester B. Pearson chaired the subcommittee that prepared a detailed partition plan. Historians have credited Pearson with helping secure a positive UN vote.[6]

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, recommending partition into a Jewish state and an Arab state and a special international regime for Jerusalem. Canada was among the 33 countries voting in favor.[1][4]

Canada also voted for Israel’s admission to the United Nations on May 11, 1949, when the General Assembly adopted Resolution 273 (III) by 37 votes to 12, with nine abstentions.[2]

Canada withheld de facto recognition until December 1948 and granted de jure recognition on May 11, 1949. An Israeli government publication likewise dates de jure recognition to 1949.[8][9]

The countries developed full diplomatic relations, including an Israeli Embassy in Ottawa. The Canadian Embassy opened in Tel Aviv in September 1953, Michael Comay was appointed Israel’s ambassador to Canada, and Canada appointed a non-resident ambassador to Israel in 1958. David Ben-Gurion became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Canada in May 1961.[3][4]

Diplomatic engagement combined cooperation with differences over the Arab–Israeli conflict. Canadian positions included support for an independent and viable Palestinian state, opposition to Israeli settlements, and support for sharing Jerusalem. A 2013 account also reported that Canada did not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital or permanent Israeli control over territories captured in 1967.[7]

In 2012, Canada was one of nine countries voting against the UN General Assembly resolution upgrading Palestine’s status; 138 voted in favor and 41 abstained. In 1991, Canada joined the majority repealing the UN resolution equating Zionism with racism, although Israeli officials continued to criticize parts of Canada’s UN voting record.[7][10]

Canada chaired the refugee working group in the Madrid-era multilateral process. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney advocated an international conference and said Palestinian interests should be respected. External Affairs Minister Joe Clark urged negotiated territorial compromise and praised Israel’s restraint during the Gulf War. Clark considered the PLO important to negotiations, while Mulroney said its leadership had been substantially or completely discredited by its conduct during the war.[10]

The relationship nevertheless experienced friction. Israel declined to attend a 1992 refugee-focused negotiation in Ottawa because it objected to Palestinian representation, and relations between Canada’s Jewish community and the Canadian government had become strained after the First Intifada began in 1987.[4]

In March 1988, Clark criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in a speech to the Canada-Israel Committee. Following criticism from committee chair Sidney Spivak, Clark affirmed Canada’s “unwavering support” for Israel. Mulroney called Clark a “firm and loyal friend” of Israel and assured Jewish leaders that Canadian policy remained “clear, consistent and unchanged.”[11]

Under Stephen Harper, Canada defended Israel during the 2006 Lebanon war, blamed Hamas for the violence during the 2008–09 Gaza war, changed some UN votes after reviewing resolutions it considered one-sided, and supported Israel’s entry into the OECD.[11]

On January 21, 2014, Harper became the first Canadian prime minister to address the Knesset. He described ties between the countries as extending beyond government institutions, supported a two-state solution and a Palestinian state, and denounced efforts to delegitimize or boycott Israel.[5]

During Harper’s visit, Canada and Israel formalized a strategic partnership. The agreement called for increased security consultations, frequent intergovernmental meetings, joint research and development, stronger counterterrorism cooperation, and negotiations to expand the Canada–Israel Free Trade Agreement.[4]

This framework built on a 2011 defense pact covering information and intelligence sharing and cooperation on military technologies. A further memorandum signed in January 2015 established public-diplomacy cooperation and a coordinated effort to oppose boycotts and challenges to Israel’s right to exist.[4]

Early commerce included Canadian agricultural products and raw materials exported to Israel and Israeli diamonds, textiles, clothing, and food products exported to Canada.[4] In 1995, two-way trade exceeded US$450 million, a 37 percent increase over 1994. Canadian exports were valued at US$216 million and Israeli exports at US$240.8 million.[12]

The countries began free-trade negotiations in November 1994, reached a tentative agreement in January 1996, and signed the Canada–Israel Free Trade Agreement in Toronto on July 31, 1996. CIFTA entered into force in 1997 and initially concentrated on eliminating tariffs on industrial products and selected agricultural and fisheries goods.[12][13]

The economic relationship also included the Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Fund. A mid-1990s account described Canada as a “helpful fixer” in the peace process while noting disputes over Jerusalem, contacts with Palestinian officials at Orient House, and guidelines governing arms sales and purchases of Israeli weapons or dual-use goods.[14]

Private investment included Claridge Investment Ltd.’s purchase of one-third of Israeli food company Osem. A private loan fund developed by Charles Bronfman for Israeli small businesses reportedly prompted the Israeli government to establish a similar fund, and Bronfman helped launch Israel’s first Canadian-dollar Israel Bonds issue.[10]

During Harper’s 2014 visit, the governments announced negotiations to modernize CIFTA and discussed increasing trade, investment, knowledge, science, and technology cooperation. The leaders also witnessed a letter of intent for a partnership between Dalhousie University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.[15]

The modernized agreement was signed in 2018 and took effect in 2019. It expanded agricultural, agri-food, and fisheries access and added or updated provisions concerning e-commerce, intellectual property, labor, technical barriers, market access, rules of origin, dispute settlement, and inclusive trade. Two-way merchandise trade reached C$1.6 billion in 2020, while two-way services trade was valued at $634 million in 2019.[6]

Canadian and Israeli ministers signed the updated agreement on May 29, 2018. That July, the Royal Bank of Canada announced a C$2 million investment in Ben-Gurion University’s cybersecurity research center to support artificial-intelligence and machine-learning research for banking.[4]

Security cooperation has included defense consultations, counterterrorism, information and intelligence sharing, public safety, cybersecurity, and collaboration on military technologies. The 2011 defense arrangements and 2014 strategic partnership provided institutional frameworks for this cooperation.[4]

After the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada “unequivocally condemns” the attacks and supported Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law. He called for the immediate release of hostages and described Canada’s support for the Israeli people as “steadfast.”[16]

Canadian policy later included restrictions on military exports. Canada approved no new arms-export permits to Israel after January 8, 2024, and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed in September that 30 existing permits had been suspended. A separate account reported that at least US$21 million in Canadian military-export permits had been authorized since October 7, 2023.[4][17]

In June 2024, Canada sanctioned seven Israeli settlers and five entities in the West Bank—known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria. In July, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand called for an urgent Gaza ceasefire, condemned Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack, demanded the release of hostages, urged Israel to protect Palestinian civilians, and supported a two-state solution.[4]

A Congressional Research Service report groups Canada with countries that took steps to limit arms trade with Israel or ties with its defense industry amid debate over Israeli operations following the October 2023 attacks. The report does not specify the Canadian measures, scope, or timing.[18]

Canadian Jewish life has been connected to Israel through travel, philanthropy, investment, and political advocacy. Surveys reported in the mid-1990s found that two-thirds of Canadian Jewish adults surveyed had visited Israel and 87 percent considered caring about Israel a very important part of being Jewish. Canadian Israel Bond sales exceeded US$100 million for the first time in 1993.[14]

Canadian Jewish opinion was not uniform. A 1991 review described it as divided and apprehensive about Ottawa’s broader approach to Israel and the Arab–Israeli conflict. The 1988 Clark episode illustrated the interaction between official diplomacy, community advocacy, and political efforts to avert diplomatic fallout.[10][11]

Former Canadian ambassador Vivian Bercovici later described Pierre Trudeau’s pursuit of relations with Yasser Arafat’s PLO and recounted Brian Mulroney’s statement that appointing Norman Spector as Canada’s first Jewish ambassador to Israel ended a period shaped by a perceived “myth of dual loyalties.” She also recalled Harper describing the Israel file as a recurring source of friction between his government and Foreign Affairs. These are Bercovici’s retrospective accounts and characterizations.[19]

On February 22, 2016, the Canadian Parliament adopted a resolution rejecting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and urging the government to condemn efforts to promote it. The New Democratic Party and Bloc Québécois opposed the resolution, citing freedom-of-expression concerns and the view that BDS was a legitimate movement criticizing Israel.[20]

A 2017 labeling dispute arose after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency notified vendors that wines produced in Judea and Samaria should not be labeled as products of Israel. After a backlash, the agency said a new employee’s error had caused the misunderstanding and that the wines complied with CIFTA, so the labeling should not change.[4]

A separate debate concerned CIFTA’s geographical scope. A 2017 article quoted the agreement’s territorial definition as “the territory where its customs laws are applied.” Its author argued that the wording addressed the possible loss of Jewish National Fund property in areas of the former Mandate outside Israel’s borders, including holdings near E-Salt, Hebron, and Gaza. This is the author’s interpretation of the clause’s context.[21]

In March 2024, a non-binding parliamentary motion called for a two-state solution. An earlier draft calling for official recognition of a Palestinian state was removed in a last-minute compromise between the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party amid debate over arms exports and Canada’s role in the conflict.[17]

Canada announced in July 2025 that it intended to recognize a Palestinian state, contingent on Palestinian Authority reforms. On September 21, Canada formally recognized the State of Palestine in coordination with the United Kingdom and Australia. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Mahmoud Abbas had committed to holding general elections in 2026 and that Hamas “can play no part” in them.[4][22]

The United States and Israel criticized the recognition. Israeli officials accused Canada of rewarding terrorism and undermining peace efforts, while Carney argued that the Israeli government had acted to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. These are attributed political positions rather than neutral findings about the decision.[4]

The recognition followed a July 2024 Knesset declaration opposing establishment of a Palestinian state, adopted by 68 votes to nine. After the 2025 recognition announcements, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.[18]

After the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024, Canada stated that it would comply with the warrants. In October 2025, Carney said Canada would arrest Netanyahu if he visited. The legal and political significance of the warrants and Canada’s position remain contested.[4]

A 2026 report said Israel would not replace departing Colonel Ilan Or in Ottawa and that an attaché based in Washington would assume the role. Israel’s Defense Ministry described the decision as a global realignment within existing resources, while Ambassador Iddo Moed denied that it resulted from erosion in bilateral relations. The report also said Canada exported about US$10.7 million in military goods to Israel in 2025 despite permit restrictions.[23]