Recently, the Canadian Parliament voted 204-117 to temporarily stop arms exports to Israel.
News agency AFP published a statement from Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said, “Since January 8, the Government of Canada has not approved any further arms exports to Israel. This decision will continue until we are able to fully comply with our export policy.”
Like the US, Canada is one of Israel’s closest allies. And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has to be criticized like Biden because of his strong position in favor of Israel. Apart from Canada, several other countries, including Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, are going to suspend arms exports to Israel.
Among the European Union countries, Spain has taken the most vocal stance against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has asked the European Commission to review the EU-Israel coordination agreement. The agreement establishes political and commercial relations between the EU and Israel.
Sanchez and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Israel could violate human rights obligations and basic democratic standards. Which is the basis of that agreement. German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock, however, rejected their call. There was no formal discussion on the matter at the EU summit that ended last Friday in Brussels.
But earlier on Thursday, the leaders of the 27 EU countries called for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in Gaza in a joint statement. which would lead to a ‘durable ceasefire, unconditional release of all hostages and provision of humanitarian assistance’.
It was the first joint statement from the EU in the more than five-month war in Gaza. The member states also called on Israel not to launch a ground operation in Rafah.
