The outcome of Monday’s landmark House of Commons vote calling on Canada to halt future arms exports to Israel continues to resonate as the Liberals face criticism from Israel and within their own caucus. There is.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly held a closed-door meeting with some Liberals late Tuesday after three MPs voted against the motion, saying they were blindsided by the details of the last-minute amendment.
New Democrats negotiated these changes with the Liberals in the days before the vote, and Jolie herself said late Monday that she was working with the Liberals to finalize the details.
NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said Jolie is calling for further softening of the language on arms exports, with only 30 minutes left before the vote is scheduled.
The final version of the non-binding motion, approved by the Liberal majority, says Canada should stop further licensing and transfers of arms exports to Israel. This drew condemnation from the Israeli government.
Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather also continues to consider his position within the party and said Wednesday there was no update on whether he would leave caucus.
But he missed Wednesday’s caucus meeting, which he normally attends in person. Several Liberal MPs said they had not yet contacted him but planned to do so.
Anthony Housefather says he felt there was a line in the sand [was] “Crossed” as caucus colleagues praised an NDP lawmaker for introducing a motion on Palestinian statehood on Monday. Housefather said he was mulling over the motion and considering whether he could remain in the parliamentary office. The Liberal government approved an amended version of the motion.
Liberals had mixed views on how much friction the vote caused within the party, with some calling the meeting tense and others trying to present a united front.
Government House leader Steve McKinnon described the meeting as “warm discussions” and “emotional”, but rejected the idea that there was tension within the caucus.
But Liberal MP John MacKay said after the meeting that the vote “naturally” caused tensions as the Israel-Hamas war continues to cause tensions around the world, on horseback and in the halls.
While efforts are being made to heal internal fractures, international implications are also becoming clearer, with Immigration Minister Mark Miller admitting the motion is “not helpful” to Canada’s efforts to remove Canadian families from the Gaza Strip. Ta.
Israel’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Canada is taking steps to undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself.
“History will judge Canada’s current actions harshly,” Israel Katz wrote on X.
The original version of the motion said Canada should “cease all trade in munitions and military technology with Israel,” which would revoke all existing permits.
Global Affairs Canada said there are currently no undisclosed permits for the export of lethal items to Israel.
“Since January 8, the government has not approved any new arms export licenses to Israel, and this situation will continue until full compliance with the export regime can be ensured,” the ministry said in a statement.
Export licenses issued before January 8 remain valid. “Given the nature of the supply chain, suspending all undisclosed permits will have significant implications for both Canada and our allies,” the statement said.
The House of Commons passed a softened NDP motion on Monday night that would no longer require the federal government to formally recognize the Palestinian state, following a last-minute amendment tabled by the ruling Liberal Party.
Although the final motion text only mentions weapons, Jolly’s office said the freeze applies to all military articles and technology. For example, universities seeking radar systems subject to Canada’s licensing rules will also be held up in the approval process under the Jan. 8 order.
McPherson said the NDP was prepared to back down over the language on arms exports.
She said Jolie approached her in the opposition lobby of the House of Commons around 7pm on Monday night, just 30 minutes before the scheduled vote.
McPherson said Jolly tried to push for softer language than what appeared in the final motion.
“They didn’t want to be responsible for breaking arms contracts,” she says. “We said no and left.”
Negotiations ultimately depend on what the Liberals intend to do to help the people of Gaza “right now,” she said.
It boils down to three red lines: ending arms sales to the Israeli government, supporting the International Court of Justice and imposing sanctions on extremist settlers in the West Bank, she said.
Although the language supporting the court’s work does not specify how Canada should assist, MacPherson said it would not be “supporting an organization that wants to hold Hamas accountable” for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He said this is to show that there is. It sparked a war with Hamas.
The government earlier indicated it was considering sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the West Bank.
“Every time we work with the Liberals, every time we look at what they’re proposing, we bring it back to community members, we bring it back to progressive Jews, we bring it back to people who have experience in war. I brought it back. I was stationed in Gaza,” McPherson said.
“It wasn’t an easy job.”
The New Democratic Party did not come out of the vote unscathed either. On Wednesday, NDP’s Brian Masse apologized for comments he made in the House of Commons linking ceasefire to tackling anti-Semitism.
“I would like to apologize to everyone affected by this comment. I am committed to repairing the damage caused,” he said.
