Palestinian Canadians, lawyers sue foreign minister for military exports to Israel

A lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Canada to force Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to stop issuing export permits for military goods and technology sales to Israel.

The suit, launched by Palestinian-Canadians and the Al-Haq Palestinian non-governmental organization and the Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), argues the sale violates Canadian and international law.

Canada's Export and Import Permits Act states that the foreign minister must deny military goods and technology exports and permit applications if there is a substantial risk that would undermine peace and security.

"We are seeking to hold Canada to its own standards and to its international legal obligations," CLAIHR board member Henry Off told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview.

"We don't want the Canadian government to be contributing to the mass starvation and bombardment of Gaza," he said. "One way of cutting off Canada's contributions is by cutting off its military support (to Israel)."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted previously that the Canadian government has not sold arms to Israel since Oct. 7 -- the start of Israel's war with Hamas.

But it appears Ottawa issued military export permits in February totaling CAN$28.5 million ($20.9 million). according to government data inspected by The Maple, a reader-funded news website in Canada.

The lawsuit argues that the military sales pose a "substantial risk" to women and children and so it violates international as well as Canadian law.

The legal action makes good on a threat of a lawsuit if the military export permits continue to be issued.

The warning was contained in a letter dated Jan. 30 to Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

The letter demanded "that the federal government immediately halt all exports and transfers of Canadian military goods and technology to Israel."