Adedokun Waliyu 
The Trudeau government has confirmed it won’t allow any military sales to Israel, that includes non-lethal military sales like boots, trucks or supplies. Foreign Affairs has been blocking military sales since early January, but in the wake of Monday’s vote on an NDP motion, Minister Melanie Joly has confirmed all sales are off.
The non-binding motion, which included a clause calling on the government to “Cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel,” is now the policy of the Trudeau government.
In addition to all of this, Canada has sent millions of rounds of ammunition for small arms, gas masks, night vision goggles, winter clothing, vehicles and more.
Israel has never really bought much in the way of military supplies from Canada. In 2021, they bought just $26 million of military gear from Canadian firms, a far cry from the $1.7 billion Saudi Arabia spent. In the days after the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Israel, export permits jumped up to $28 million over several months before a pause was imposed on Jan. 8.
Now, that may seem like a lot, but it’s not, especially not when you compare it to our other democratic ally currently involved in a war, Ukraine.
Since the start of 2022, the Canadian government proudly boasts that we have sent $4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. This isn’t material that Ukraine has bought from Canada, this is what we have sent them:
40,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition
— 10,000 rounds of 105mm tank shells
— 277 1,000-pound aircraft bombs
— Four M777 Howitzers
— 4,200 M72A5-C1 anti-tank rocket launchers
— $10 million worth of pistols, infantry rifles, sniper rifles and ammunition
— Eight Leopard 2 battle tanks
In addition to all of this, Canada has sent millions of rounds of ammunition for small arms, gas masks, night vision goggles, winter clothing, vehicles and more.
If Canada is going to stand with Ukraine, then these are the sorts of supplies we should be giving to them. Given Putin’s ambitions, it is far better for Canada, and other Western allies, to supply Ukraine to do battle with Putin than to take him on directly.
Stop Putin in Ukraine or deal with him in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and elsewhere.
So why doesn’t the same apply to Israel who is battling the terrorist group Hamas, which is backed by Iran — a country aligned with Russia and China — and seeking regional dominance through destabilization?
With Israel, Canada isn’t just refusing to send military aid, we are actively blocking Canadian companies from selling to the Israeli government. Forget selling rifles, artillery shells or the other lethal weapons that Canada sends to Ukraine using taxpayer dollars, the Trudeau government is actively blocking the sale of anything that could be used by the Israeli military.
Canada donated 640,000 “individual meal packs” to Ukraine to help with their war effort. Canadian ration packs have a strange reputation for taste, but they are portable, don’t require refrigeration, are easy to prepare and are nutritious if sometimes gag worthy.
Under Canada’s new policy, it would now be illegal to sell these ration packs to Israel.
Don’t tell me Canada remains neutral in this war.
We are giving far more in aid to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, than Israel has ever purchased from Canadian suppliers. Many UNRWA employees took part in the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, including the killing, raping and kidnapping.
Still, the Trudeau government has kept funding them while blocking sales of lethal and non-lethal material to Israel if there can be a military use.
It is disturbing the lengths the Trudeau Liberals will go to in order to undermine a country we still call an ally and a friend. Let me assure you, no one in the government offices in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem are calling Canada a friend of Israel today.
We should be standing with our democratic allies at war.
Instead, we are standing with one and the Liberals have abandoned the other due to concerns about votes at home.
