Once again, it takes joint action from other cowardly Western states before Canada is willing to say anything the slightest bit critical of Israel, no matter how meaningless. “International law is clear: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal,” they say. And yet they have absolutely nothing meaningless to offer as consequence for said illegality.
So, another letter, of course!
Your statement "businesses should not bid for construction tenders... should be aware of legal and reputational consequences of participating in settlement construction" is not worth the paper it is written on unless you promise *real* consequences *you* are prepared to levy, not just "should"s and "reputational consequences."
It is long past time for sanctions on Israel in response to ongoing violations of international law and the continued expansion of illegal settlements, and more importantly, for *your* government to divest from the Israeli war machine. What are Canadians' pensions funds doing tied up on the creation of weapons? Why does the Canadian government continue to sell weapons to Israel. This is shameful! You are committing crimes, not just in our names but with our tax dollars. Enough!
Just days ago, 190 former senior diplomats outlined 10 urgent recommendations for Canada, including:
- (1) Expand economic and travel sanctions to include any Israeli cabinet member, member of the - Knesset, government official, settler, or organization that promotes violence against Palestinians or the seizure of their land;
- (2) Take legal action against Canadian companies that bid on or participate in construction projects in the settlements;
- (3) Inform the Israeli government of Canada's intention to undertake an immediate review of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA), including the application of rules of origin to exclude coverage of products from the illegal settlements
Last week, the European Union imposed additional sanctions on settlers and settler organizations. Canada should implement similar measures and expand sanctions to include Israeli officials, settlers, and organizations connected to violence against Palestinians or the confiscation of Palestinian land.
I also urge your government to act against Canadian companies involved in settlement construction, including by publicly warning that any entity participating in the E1 settlement expansion project will face targeted economic sanctions.
Settlement growth and settler violence continue to intensify. In 2025, Israel approved 54 new settlements, resulting in the displacement of 22 Palestinian communities. More than 845 attacks by settlers against Palestinians have been documented this year alone.
Canada has repeatedly stated that Israeli settlements violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolutions 446 and 465. However, Canada has not yet taken meaningful action. I urge your government to impose sanctions and uphold international law.
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