As Canada’s foreign interference public inquiry enters its 11th month it does so in the shadow of an International Criminal Court decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for former defense chief Yoav Gallant for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
It is important to mention this latest development in the Gaza genocide in the context of Canada’s inquiry because as Israel continues to commit heinous crimes against Palestinians, its agents in Canada also continue to work to manipulate, coerce and extort Canadian political leaders to give Israel a pass as it violates international laws with impunity, not just since last October but for decades.
Headed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue the inquiry has been examining the involvement of foreign governments and their agents in Canada’s politics and government decisions, looking at issues like manipulating, coercing, or threatening Canadian politicians and government officials to support the interests of foreign governments in this country.
During the hearings scrutiny has largely centered on governments such as China, Russia and India. A striking omission in this discourse has been Israel, a nation that has exerted substantial influence in shaping Canadian policies related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle-East broadly for decades.
The discourse surrounding foreign interference should encompass the actions of not only adversarial regimes but also so-called “allies” like Israel, which has demonstrated an unethical proclivity to coerce Canadian officials while working to stifle criticism of its policies and actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. Over the decades, Canadian agents acting on behalf of Israel (like CIJA and B’nai Brith) have utilized a multifaceted approach to influence and intimidate Canadian politicians who criticize Israel, coercing alignment with Israeli governmental interests, and systemically stifling criticism regarding its policies toward Palestinians and the crimes it has committed against the Palestinian people.
This contrasts sharply with Canada’s swift and vocal condemnation of foreign aggression in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Canadian government and its citizens rallied in support of Ukraine, condemned Russian actions, and emphasized the importance of human rights and the international rule of law. Yet, when confronted with allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ongoing genocide by Israel against Palestinians Canada’s response has been muted, revealing profound biases at play in this country’s political ecosystem and the way issues around it are portrayed in the news media. This is the result of decades of Israel’s Canadian agents intimidating and extorting the Canadian government and elected officials to support Israel lest they be tarred with the label of “antisemitism”.
Canada responded with vigor to Russia’s aggression with the government imposing sweeping sanctions on Russian entities, expediting aid to Ukraine, and actively participating in international coalitions to condemn Russia’s actions. The Canadian government’s support for Ukraine contrasts sharply with its relative apathy relating to Israeli oppression of and aggression towards Palestinians, which have been met with excuses or silence.
The international community has witnessed shocking atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians for years and particularly since October 2023 when the genocide in Gaza began. These actions have drawn condemnation from international human rights organizations, yet Canada’s political response has been markedly apathetic. When the issue of Israeli crimes against Palestinians has been raised by Canadian human rights activists, politicians have reframed the pro-Palestinian narratives through the lens of antisemitism rather than addressing Israeli violence against the Palestinian people. Such tactics protect Israel and its criminal leaders from scrutiny while silencing voices advocating for Palestinian justice and freedom.
Unfounded allegations of antisemitism are frequently used as a tool of censorship by Israel and their Canadian allies. But the conflation of legitimate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish hate only serves to obstruct open discussions about the plight of Palestinians and is effectively victim blaming. This dynamic has enabled and fed anti-Palestinian racism, and resulted in a reluctance by many Canadian politicians to confront or acknowledge Israel’s criminal behaviour for reasons related to domestic politics. It creates an atmosphere where criticism of Israel government is met with hostility that stifles voices advocating for truth in the face of extreme injustice.
The overwhelming influence of the Israel lobby within Canada’s political and media landscape significantly shapes public opinion and discourse around issues related to Palestine and the Palestinian people. Many Canadian newspapers and TV news networks selectively present information downplaying or ignoring Israel’s criminal actions while amplifying narratives demonizing Palestinian resistance. This creates an illusion of consensus on the issue but ignores a critical examination of Israel’s egregious human rights crimes, and perpetuates anti-Palestinian prejudice and Islamophobia.
In this context we must look at why foreign interference by Israel remains largely unacknowledged and unchallenged. While the history of Jewish persecution and the Holocaust has led to the establishment of protective doctrines shielding Israel it cannot and should not be at the expense of Palestinian rights. In examining Israel’s exceptional influence in Canadian politics, we have to acknowledge that there is deeply entrenched anti-Palestinian racism at all levels of Canadian society, and much of it is perpetrated by Zionist organizations and their political, media and corporate allies acting in the interests of Israel.
Advocacy for Palestinian rights should be understood as a struggle against occupation, colonialism and ethnosupremacy. In acknowledging that Israel perpetuates a system of violent and racist apartheid, we must also support the human rights of Palestinians, and stand firmly against rhetoric that mutes these arguments through a lens of anti-Palestinian hate. Educational institutions, media, and public officials must work towards dismantling the narratives that enable this racist hierarchy, and emphasize the urgency of the Palestinian struggle for freedom.
In order to be thorough the Hogue Commission must investigate Israel, a state that utilizes intimidation and coercion to influence discourse around Palestinian rights within the Canadian government (and in the governments of other nations). Investigating countries like China and Russia but ignoring Israel would be a clear demonstration of prejudice and racism on the part of the inquiry, which would sacrifice Palestinians and their rights on the altar of political expediency. Only by including Israel can the inquiry fully expose the depth of foreign governments’ influence on Canadian politics, and make the changes needed to preserve Canadian democracy against the influence of dangerous foreign actors. In light of the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court relating to the Gaza genocide it should motivate Justice Hogue to expand the terms of the inquiry, and bring to light how an apartheid racist state committing genocide has interfered in Canadian politics and government policies not just for the past year, but for decades.
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