Ottawa, ON — June 10, 2025: Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) and Just Peace Advocates (JPA) welcome today’s announcement that Canada will impose sanctions on two senior Israeli government ministers — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir — in coordination with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. The sanctions include asset freezes and bans on entering Canada.
“This is a long-overdue move. We are glad to see Canada finally responding to movement demands to target not just low-level settlers, but the powerful Israeli officials fueling violent settler expansion and entrenching apartheid,” said Rebecca Steckle of JPA.
The sanctions, imposed under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), mark Canada’s fourth round of sanctions targeting Israeli settler violence, and the first directed at Israeli government officials.
Smotrich and Ben-Gvir — two of the Israeli government’s most ultra-nationalist and far-right figures — have openly championed genocidal violence, ethnic cleansing, and deepening colonization of Palestinian land. Their designation is the result of sustained pressure from a growing movement demanding meaningful sanctions on those driving Israel’s brutal oppression of Palestinians.
The move follows recommendations made by IJV, JPA, and academic Miles Howe in an October 2024 report identifying eight key targets for Canadian sanctions related to Israeli settler violence and the ongoing colonization of the occupied West Bank. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir topped that list.
These sanctions are a step in the right direction — but Israel’s impunity remains intact,” said Steckle. “Israel is brazenly violating international law through its illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocidal assault on Palestine. Canada must go much further — and fast.’
In line with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 Advisory Opinion, Canada is obliged to end all financial, trade, and economic ties that sustain Israel’s illegal occupation. The UN has made clear that States aiding Israel risk complicity in its violations of international law. “At the moment, there’s ample evidence of war crimes complicity across the Canadian corporate and philanthropic sectors. As a member state of the United Nations, Canada must act decisively to ensure it is not contributing to these crimes,” said Miles Howe.
IJV and JPA are calling on the Canadian government to take further urgent and decisive measures, as required by the ICJ Advisory Opinion:
- Sanction all Israeli leaders and military personnel responsible for war crimes, specifically but not limited to the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip
- Impose a comprehensive, two-way arms embargo on Israel under SEMA
- Cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement and cease all trade relations with Israel that maintain or contribute to the maintenance of the illegal occupation.
- Prohibit Canadian charities from financing activities associated with Israel’s unlawful occupation
- Investigate and prosecute all Canadians participating in the Israeli military
“While sanctioning Israeli government ministers is a significant diplomatic signal, it remains largely symbolic and imposes little genuine cost on Israel,” said Corey Balsam of IJV. “If Canada is serious about holding Israel accountable for its crimes, it must impose sanctions with real bite — the kind that will force the Israeli government to rethink its actions toward Palestinians for good.”
Media contact:
Corey Balsam, National Coordinator, Independent Jewish Voices, corey@ijvcanada.org
Rebecca Steckle, Just Peace Advocates, info@justpeaceadvocates.ca