Relationship dossier
Canada
Israel
Relationship assessment
Established trade ties coexist with sharp disagreement over Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Canada toward Israel
+15Canada has condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks and affirmed Israel’s security, while also criticizing Israel’s military conduct in Gaza. In 2024, Canada halted new arms-export permits to Israel, reflecting a significant policy constraint alongside continued diplomatic and trade ties.
Israel toward Canada
+10Israel and Canada participate in a bilateral free trade arrangement. Israel has also criticized Canadian government positions on the Gaza conflict, showing political friction alongside economic cooperation.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has a durable economic foundation in the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, but political differences over the Gaza conflict have become pronounced. Canada’s support for Israel’s security has coexisted with criticism of its military conduct and restrictions on new arms-export permits; Israel has objected to Canadian positions. The resulting relationship is cooperative in some areas and contentious in others.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Canada and Israel maintain diplomatic and economic ties, including a bilateral free trade agreement. Canadian policy has combined condemnation of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks and support for Israel’s security with criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and a halt to new arms-export permits in 2024. Israel has criticized Canadian positions on the conflict, while the trade agreement remains a concrete basis for cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Canadian criticism of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza.
- Canada’s 2024 halt to new arms-export permits to Israel.
- Israeli objections to Canadian government positions on the Gaza conflict.
Key developments
The Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement entered into force, establishing a durable bilateral economic arrangement.
Canada condemned Hamas’s attacks and affirmed Israel’s security after the October 7 attacks.
Canada announced a halt to new arms-export permits to Israel amid the Gaza conflict.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and current implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond trade are unclear.
- The long-term effects of Canada’s 2024 arms-export decision and its subsequent policy changes are uncertain.