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Jack Mintz: Why Mark Carney should visit Israel 

The prime minister could exercise influence, while signalling his support for Jewish Canadians

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Our globe-trotting prime minister has been building strategic partnerships with “middle powers,” and even China, as a policy intended to strengthen Canada’s hand against Donald Trump’s offence on trade. However, one middle power not on his list is Israel, a key ally contributing to western security and an important trading partner in technology and defence systems.

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Even after the Hamas slaughter, rape and torture of Israelis on October 7, former prime minister Justin Trudeau was the only G7 leader besides Japan’s not to visit Israel since 2023. It was a terrible signal at that time when antisemitism in Canada surged. Even if some Canadian politicians believe that Zionism and antisemitism are unrelated, antisemites have a much different perception — Jew hatred and Zionphobia (hatred of Israel) go hand in hand.

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It is time to correct this. Mark Carney should visit Israel after the U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran comes to an end. With an outreach to Israel and a parallel visit to the Palestinian Authority, he could improve Canada’s international historic standing as a peace broker in global affairs. It would also be a crucial step to combat growing antisemitism at home by making clear that Israel, so important to the Jewish community, is not a pariah state but a significant economic and security partner in today’s turbulent world.

Canada’s role in the Middle East is chiefly limited to trade and humanitarian aid. We even lost influence over Gaza’s rebuilding as Canada’s invitation to be a member the Board of Peace was recinded after Canada refused to pay US$1 billion fee and in reaction to Carney’s Davos speech. We have 200 military personnel in the Middle East, some imbedded in U.S. military bases, to assist with training against ISIS and other regional security objectives. Most significant is the Ali-Al-Salem military base in Kuwait, which was attacked by Iran on March 1.  Despite the threat, that attack was kept secret by the Carney government only to be revealed by La Presse on March 12.

While France and the U.K. are sending planes and ships to Qatar and Cyprus to defend their own interests, Canada is no position to do so. Thus, it isn’t surprising that the Carney government announced that Canada will not participate in the latest Middle East conflict with Iran even though he supports it (sort of). We have little to offer except for aid — $37.7 million — for an impotent Lebanese government unable to quell Hezbollah from shooting over 1000 rockets and drones on Israelis. Not to begrudge the Lebanese aid, it is almost four times more than newly announced security measures to protect Canada’s Jewish community.

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Seeking middle power engagement, Carney visited Qatar last January to strengthen the “strategic partnership” and increase trade. In pursuit of soft power, Qatar has brokered peace agreements in the Middle East and Africa, which fits with Carney’s modus operandi. However, this ignores the more controversial Qatari actions: support for the Muslim Brotherhood  and Hamas, as well as human rights abuses of migrant workers. As the prime minister said in his widely acclaimed Davos speech, “We actively take on the world as it is, not wait for a world we wish to be.”

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Carney should carry those words with him when he visits Israel to strengthen our partnership. He does not appear to like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but he can try to influence better outcomes by reaching out. Despite the rhetoric, mainly from antisemites, Israel is not genocidal. Neither is war desirable but few countries face continual existential threats from its enemies as Israel. As former prime minister Stephen Harper stated in his Knesset speech in 2014, Israel is an ally, not an enemy. Even if we don’t agree with our allies at times, such as the U.S. invasion in Iraq in 2003, we remain friends.

Two-way Canadian-Israel trade in merchandise and services totalled over $2.5 billion in 2024, encouraged by the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement that has removed most tariffs, but Carney could achieve more. In U.S. dollars, Israel exports $64 billion to the rest of world, of which $17 billion is to the United States, followed by another $16 billion to Ireland, China, Netherlands, Germany and India. Canada is way down the list: 21st.

Given its size, Israel spends more on research and development than any other country in the world. That research has led to technological revolutions including water desalination, Waze, USB flash drives, robotics, medical advancements, the Iron Dome and even cherry tomatoes! Academic and business exchanges between Israel and Canada are key to developing new technologies as well as adopting them in each country.

In the wake of Russian threats, 23 EU countries now rely on Israel defence systems. Germany has purchased the Arrow 3 missile defence system for US$4.6 billion, Finland acquired  David’s Sling and the U.K. has purchased drones and advanced tank defence systems. Overall, Israel has become the seventh largest arm’s exporter in the world, even surpassing the UK.

If Carney reaches out to Israel, it will be welcomed by a beleaguered Canadian Jewish community that continues to be threatened by antisemitism day after day. It is not just the intimidation, gun threats and bomb scares. Jews are now afraid. They hide their identity, pray behind security walls and are criticized for their deeply religious-held support for Israel.

Even the latest incident shows that a new form of antisemitism, Zionphobia, can run deep. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack chastised his chief of police for a February trip to Israel organized by the North America’s Major Cities Chiefs Association to learn high-level emergency-management, counterterrorism and cybersecurity. Arguing that “At a time of rising Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism, and hate towards marginalized communities” the trip was “harmful.” The mayor himself stokes antisemitism by denigrating Israel and putting the Jewish community on the defensive. In other North American cities, reaction was far more muted if any — only Edmonton politicians didn’t care about making the city safe.

A visit to Israel by our prime minister would help quell this growing isolation of the Canadian Jewish community. It will also be good for Canada too as Israel offers technologies and defence capability that we sorely need from an important ally. Besides, Jerusalem is a wonderful city to visit!

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