Canada Must Enact 2-Way Arms Embargo on Israel, Suspend Trade Agreement
The National Farmers Union of Canada (NFU) calls on the Canadian government to take immediate action against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people by suspending the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement and enacting a comprehensive two-way arms embargo against Israel, including enacting Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, and cancelling all existing export contracts.
“We have written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, to call on her government to uphold Canada’s binding legal obligations under the Geneva Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty,” explains Hannah Dwyer, NFU Board Member from British Colombia. “Israel is still bombing Palestine with Canadian-made fighter jets and explosives sold via the US. Ending trade relations with Israel and closing loopholes in military contracts aligns with international law and human rights. This is a necessary action to stop a country that is currently committing genocide.”
The National Farmers Union is a direct membership organization representing farmers, farm workers and Indigenous peoples across Canada/Turtle Island. For almost three decades, as members of the global La Via Campesina movement for food sovereignty and peasant rights, we have advocated for solidarity with farmers internationally. As members of the global farming community, we feel compelled to do everything in our power to stop the Israeli government’s unlawful and violent treatment of Palestinian farmers and lands, and its weaponization of food as a tool of genocide.
Following our November 2025 Convention, the NFU membership is taking concrete action in line with our landmark resolution to join the global movement of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS). We have begun conducting an audit of our investments and relationships with Canadian and international businesses that benefit from the ongoing genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine. We are developing resources to share with our membership to implement BDS on their farms and in their households and communities.
We encourage our members and the Canadian public to contact their Members of Parliament to urge them to vote for Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, which is being voted on at the end of February.
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For more information, please contact: Hannah Dwyer (ipccoordinator@nfu.ca)
