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***MEDIA RELEASE***
March 11, 2026
Carney Government Chooses Trump and Arming Genocide Over International Law as Liberals Vote Down ‘No More Loopholes’ Act
Vote Leaves Backdoor Pipeline of Canadian Weapons Flowing Through the U.S. to Israel Wide Open
OTTAWA, ON – The Arms Embargo Now Coalition condemns the Liberal government today after the House of Commons voted down Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, legislation that would have closed a major loophole that allows Canadian military exports to reach Israel through the United States without permits, oversight, or human-rights review.
The vote represents a decisive political choice by the Carney government to maintain Canada’s role in supplying weapons through U.S. military supply chains, even as Israel continues its assault on Gaza and the United States and Israel expand their war across the region.
“This vote was a litmus test,” said Rachel Small, Canada lead with World Beyond War and a spokesperson for the Arms Embargo Now campaign. “The Carney government had a clear opportunity to align Canadian arms exports with international law and human rights. Instead, it chose to align itself with Trump and to preserve the loophole that allows Canadian weapons and explosives to flow into U.S. supply chains fueling Israel’s wars.”
Bill C-233 would have required Canadian military exports to the United States to undergo the same permit requirements and human-rights risk assessments applied to exports to other countries.
The loophole has allowed Canadian weapons components and explosives to move into U.S. weapons manufacturing systems and ultimately into Israeli military operations. In addition, Canadian armoured vehicles have also been witnessed in use by ICE in their deadly operations in Minneapolis, Canadian sensors have been documented being used in the US’ attack on Venezuela, and millions of dollars worth of Canadian parts were used to produce every single F-35 fighter jet used in the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran.
“The government has chosen the side of militarism and war profiteering. The side of Lockheed Martin and the arms industry. The side of Trump and Netanyahu’s expanding wars,” Small added.
Grassroots Organizing Fractures Liberal Caucus
Despite the defeat of the bill, a significant political breakthrough: 15 Liberal MPs broke ranks with their leadership and voted in favour of the legislation following months of organizing across the country, while dozens more abstained instead of voting wit C.
Thousands of Canadians participated in the campaign to close the U.S. loophole, organizing:
- mass email and phone campaigns to MPs
- community canvassing and outreach
- coordinated protests at MP offices
- direct meetings with elected officials
- coordinated media advocacy exposing Canada’s arms exports
This pressure forced the issue into the national spotlight and compelled MPs to publicly take a position.
“For months, communities across the country organized tirelessly to expose Canada’s complicity in war crimes and force their representatives to pick a side,” Boutaïna Chafi, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement said. “Because of that organizing, many MPs broke ranks with their own government to support this bill.”
Evidence of Canada’s Role in the Weapons Supply Chain
The vote took place amid mounting evidence that Canadian weapons components and explosives continue to reach Israel through U.S. military supply chains.
Recent investigative reporting and movement research have documented:
- Canadian components used in F-35 fighter jets deployed by Israel
- Canadian explosives used in U.S. weapons manufacturing plants producing bombs and artillery shells exported to Israel
- That a government agency had itself investigated the risk of Canadian military exports being incorporated into American weapons used by Israel
- That a key Liberal minister was informed of this diversion
These findings directly contradict repeated government claims that Canada had already halted arms transfers to Israel and that Bill C-233 was thus unnecessary.
“The reality is simple,” Chafi said. “Canada never actually stopped arming Israel. The government simply relied on a loophole that allows weapons to transit through the United States without oversight. They chose industry and profit over the concerns of the majority of Canadians who elected them.”
A Vote That Defines the Carney Government
The coalition said the defeat of Bill C-233 signals a broader shift in Canadian policy under the new government.
“Mark Carney has made clear that his vision for Canada is one of deeper integration into the U.S. war economy,” said Yara Shoufani, President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. “From expanding Canadian military production, to record breaking defence spending on American weapon systems, to aligning Canada’s foreign policy with Washington’s escalating wars, this government is entrenching Canada further inside the U.S. military-industrial complex.”
Advocates say the vote confirms that the government has chosen to prioritize the profits of arms manufacturers and the military interests of Trump and Netanyahu over international law and human rights.
A Movement That Is Not Going Away
The defeat of the bill does not mark the end of the campaign to end Canada’s complicity in Israel’s war.
“The fight to change Canadian law in order to close the U.S. loophole was one tactic in a broader movement to end Canada’s role in arming and supporting Israel’s genocide,” Small said. “Arms Embargo Now is not a momentary campaign. It is a growing movement rooted in grassroots organizing across the country.”
The Arms Embargo Now campaign has already succeeded in exposing Canada’s arms export regime and forcing public debate over the country’s role in global militarism.
“This government may have voted down the bill, but they cannot put the issue back in the shadows,” said Shoufani. “MPs are now on the record. Carney has now picked a side. Canadians now know the truth about Canada’s arms exports and complicity in war crimes.”
The fight for a real, two-way arms embargo on Israel continues.
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###MEDIA CONTACT: Gur Tsabar, movementmediahub@gmail.com,
