By Joseph Marshall
A federal parliamentary petition calling for investigations into Canadians who served in the Israel Defense Forces has ignited a political and communal firestorm, with Jewish organizations warning that the initiative crosses a dangerous line from legal accountability into collective suspicion.
The petition, formally tabled in the House of Commons and sponsored by NDP MP Heather McPherson, urges the federal government to investigate Canadian citizens and permanent residents who served in the IDF under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. It also calls for screening returning Canadians at the border, cooperation with the International Criminal Court, and the creation of a federal portal to collect allegations from Gaza and the West Bank.
While petitions do not create law or trigger automatic investigations, Jewish advocacy groups say the symbolism and the precedent are alarming.
“This is not about justice,” said B’nai Brith Canada, which condemned the petition as a targeted political campaign that singles out Jewish Canadians for scrutiny based solely on service in Israel’s military. “It treats military service in a democratic ally’s armed forces as presumptive evidence of criminality.”
Canada has thousands of citizens who have served in foreign militaries, including allied forces such as those of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Jewish groups argue the petition’s exclusive focus on the IDF is what makes it troubling.
“There is no comparable push to investigate Canadians who served in NATO armies involved in Afghanistan or Iraq,” one Jewish community leader told MJN. “That selective outrage is impossible to ignore.”
The petition also calls for scrutiny of organizations that assist lone soldiers, including groups that help Canadians volunteer in Israel. Critics say framing such support as potentially criminal creates a chilling effect across Jewish communal life and civic engagement.
This is not the first time the issue has surfaced on Parliament Hill. Previous petitions sponsored by NDP MP Matthew Green, sought investigations into alleged IDF recruitment in Canada under the Foreign Enlistment Act. Those efforts did not result in charges or prosecutions.
According to federal authorities, including the RCMP’s war crimes program, no evidence has been publicly presented showing that Canadian IDF veterans as a group committed prosecutable war crimes. Canada’s war crimes investigations traditionally focus on specific individuals and specific evidence, not military service alone.
McPherson has not publicly responded to questions from Jewish media regarding the petition, though she has previously criticized events featuring IDF soldiers on Canadian campuses. Supporters frame the petition as a human rights accountability measure consistent with international law.
Jewish organizations counter that accountability mechanisms already exist and that Canada’s legal framework does not permit blanket investigations of citizens without individualized evidence.
“This petition creates a dangerous implication,” said a senior communal advocate. “That being Jewish, Zionist, or having lived in Israel is enough to put you on a list.”
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of heightened anxiety in Canada’s Jewish community. Since October 2023, police reported incidents targeting Jewish institutions, schools, and synagogues have surged across the country, including in Montreal and Toronto. Community leaders say the petition adds fuel to an already volatile atmosphere.
“There is a direct line between rhetoric that delegitimizes Jewish identity and real world consequences,” said a Montreal based Jewish educator. “When Parliament entertains ideas about lists and investigations, people notice.”
Parliamentary petitions require a formal government response, but they do not compel action. The federal government has not indicated it will pursue the measures outlined in the petition, and no investigations tied specifically to Canadian IDF veterans have been announced.
Still, Jewish groups warn the damage may already be done.
“This is not just about Israel,” one advocate said. “It is about whether Jewish Canadians are treated as equal citizens or as suspects first.”
As Ottawa debates accountability abroad, Canada’s Jewish community is watching closely and asking a simple question. Who is being singled out and why.
