A Canada-Israel rift is widening over UN votes and sanctions

Evan Dyer · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 4:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Israel's warfare with Iran has temporarily delayed a reckoning with immoderate of its main Western allies, but seems improbable to adjacent what has go a yawning spread betwixt them implicit its conduct successful Gaza and the West Bank.

"The relationship's not successful large shape," said erstwhile Canadian ambassador to Israel Jon Allen. "Frankly, it shouldn't be."

The gulf betwixt the Canadian and Israeli governments widened further connected June 12 arsenic the Carney authorities took a firmer presumption against Israel's warfare successful Gaza than its predecessor, voting for a UN question akin to 1 that the Trudeau authorities had abstained connected successful September.

At the time, the authorities explained that portion it supported "the instauration of the Palestinian state" and the International Court of Justice's relation "in upholding the planetary rules-based order," it could not "support a solution wherever 1 party, the authorities of Israel, is held solely liable for the conflict."

The Trudeau authorities besides flagged interest implicit connection that "aligns" with the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) question targeting Israel.

Canada's reservations look to person fallen by the wayside. While neither UN solution straight called for boycott oregon divestment of Israel, the earlier 1 did demand targeted sanctions connected individuals engaged successful "settler violence" — thing Canada yet did past week.

After initially agreeing to sermon the ballot with CBC News, Global Affairs Canada rescinded support of an interrogation petition with Canada's imperishable typical to the UN, Bob Rae.

The section did not to explicate its alteration of posture.

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Allen said Israel's absorption to Canada's menace of sanctions successful May inflamed the situation.

"Bibi [Netanyahu's] response, I thought, was despicable. It was vile," helium told CBC News, arsenic the Israeli premier curate connected a associated connection from Canada, the U.K. and France to the sidesplitting of 2 Israeli diplomats successful D.C.

"It was utilizing the worst of allegations to people governmental points."

Tensions betwixt Israel and Canada stay precocious implicit the sanctioning of 2 Israeli furniture ministers. But nether the Trump administration, there's nary crushed Israel would interest astir the U.S. applying immoderate specified pressure.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Norway to reverse course. The U.S. ambassador to Israel invited the sanctioned ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, to the U.S. embassy successful a amusement of support.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the sanctions against them were "a shocking decision," arguing "they person not conducted immoderate transgression activity."

But the 2 person agelong histories of racist and convulsive rhetoric and some person antecedently spent clip successful Israeli authorities custody for their words and actions.

The 5 Western governments pointed to repeated inflammatory statements by the ministers encouraging the usage of starvation and different amerciable methods successful Gaza, and their repeated calls for its colonisation to beryllium displaced and replaced with Jewish settlers, arsenic justification for the sanctions.

The U.S. besides precocious warned different governments not to be a planned summit, to beryllium hosted by France and Saudi Arabia astatine the UN, that aims to revive the anticipation for a two-state solution — an nonsubjective agelong held by astir of the satellite including the U.S. extracurricular of the 2 Trump administrations. 

Rubio sent a diplomatic cablegram threatening different countries with unspecified consequences if they took part, according to Reuters.

An authoritative with Global Affairs Canada told CBC News that Canada decides its ain overseas argumentation and would not beryllium influenced by the U.S. note.

That acme has been postponed owed to the outbreak of hostilities betwixt Israel and Iran. But Allen thinks it apt that Canada volition yet attend, careless of immoderate unit from Washington.

'There is nary bid process'

The erstwhile diplomat said Canada could apt expect blowback from the U.S. if it were to officially admit a Palestinian state, but argues it would astir apt beryllium little superior than what helium experienced successful Washington erstwhile the Chrétien authorities opted to beryllium retired George W. Bush's penetration of Iraq.

Allen was invited to attest connected the taxable astatine the Commons overseas affairs committee past year, wherever helium said helium saw "overwhelming" enactment for the thought — including by members of the Liberal caucus.

"But evidently the authorities is weighing its classical narration with Israel, and its narration with the U.S., and its narration with the diaspora assemblage present connected that one," Allen said.

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Spain, Ireland and Norway each recognized the authorities of Palestine during the people of the existent Gaza war, arsenic bash 144 different countries. He expects Canada would bash the aforesaid "in conjunction with the U.K., France, Australia, for example."

He said the strongest statement to bash truthful is to amusement Israel it doesn't person a "veto" implicit erstwhile Palestinian territories could go a country.

"They grow settlements, they advocator the depopulation of Gaza. And past they say, oh, you cognize we person to person a bid process successful bid to admit a Palestinian state," Allen said.

"The evident effect is: determination is nary bid process."