THE Canadian PARLIAMENT decides to ban the sending of any type of weapons to Israel. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the political decision on Tuesday (19/3).
The move came after lawmakers voted 204-117 on a non-binding motion to stop arms sales to Israel on Monday (3/18).
“It’s a real thing,” Joly told Canadian newspaper The Toronto Star.
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The initial proposal, he explained, was to suspend arms sales. But a majority of lawmakers agreed to change the ban. The motion also included a clause calling for support for the creation of a Palestinian state.
Canada previously imposed a temporary suspension of export licenses for military goods and technology. But there was some confusion beforehand, as Canada's Global Affairs office was still accepting applications for arms exports to Israel.
Media reports also reported that applications were considered on a case-by-case basis. But Joly insisted that after voting on the motion in Parliament, the Canadian government was committed to following it.
Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said Joly would decide how the ban would be enforced.
“There are a number of existing contracts, but that's the basis for the future, I think that's the minister's view. “Many concerns have been raised about the sale of lethal military equipment to Israel during the conflict,” he concluded (Anadolu/Z-3).
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