Another form of pressure on the F-35 supply chain has been at a national level. In March 2024, after months of organizing and pressure, Canada’s House of Commons passed a non-binding motion that officially called on the Government of Canada to “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel.” Following this motion, then foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly confirmed that the government would halt future arms sales to Israel.
Though that assertion was a positive step, there are still many loopholes, as detailed by Project Ploughshares. In particular, as with the parts of the F-35 aircraft, Canada continues to indirectly arm Israel by exporting to the United States.
This is one of the loopholes that NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) has been targeting through a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Commons. The reaction from the Liberal party has been unsurprisingly negative, and the NDP lacks the seats in Parliament to force the government to comply. Yet, this Bill represents one way people around the country can exert some influence, by calling upon their Members of Parliament to support this effort.
The F-35 is a force for destruction. It is responsible not just for the devastating situation in Palestine but also, most recently, the attack on Venezuela that led to the abduction of President Nicolas Madura also featured F-35 aircraft. Canadians should try to do what they can to obstruct the production of this destructive weapon.
