NDP pitches tighter arms controls, citing U.S. loophole for arms exports to Israel

OTTAWA — NDP MP Jenny Kwan will be asking Parliament to close a loophole that could allow the U.S. to purchase Canadian weapons for Israel, despite a ban on arms exports to that country.

Kwan will be speaking this morning on Parliament Hill about a private members’ bill she plans to table later this month “to ensure Canadian weapons and military components are not used to fuel human rights abuses abroad,” according to a statement from her office.

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While Ottawa has restricted arms exports to Israel since early 2024, the Liberals originally said the ban applied to lethal arms, before confirming that sales of arms to Israel used to defend civilians would still be allowed.

Advocates have pushed for a total arms embargo on Israel and argue Ottawa is already falling short on its promise to block sales of Canadian arms that might be used in Gaza, though the government insists it has held this line.

Ottawa and Washington have a defence production agreement that allows the U.S. to buy some Canadian arms and send them abroad while bypassing some of Canada’s arms control protocols.

This arrangement led to controversy last fall when the U.S. announced plans to send Quebec-made ammunition to Israel, a sale that Ottawa said ultimately did not proceed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press