Canadian-Israeli Love Story
The term “Gold-digger” typically describes a woman who trades sexual favours for things she wants – In Canada it has a slightly different application but the concept remains the same.
“Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law... We need to continue to work with international communities and allies to try and find a way to protect all civilians through this. But the choices that Hamas has made, make that even more difficult than it would otherwise be,"
Justin Trudeau, November 10, 2023 – REUTERS Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/first-canadian-evacuation-plane-leaves-israel-carrying-130-people-2023-10-12/
It is not surprising to me that Canada is a staunch supporter of Israel because Canada is and has always been a business venture rather than an attempt at a sovereign nation. It is this mercantile approach, shared by Conservatives, Liberals, BlocQuebec, NDP and even the Green parties which keeps Canada in line with the wishes of our trading partners.
Canadian foreign policy magazine 'The Canada Files' notes that Canada's relationship with both the American and Israeli governments is (on the surface) financial and a primary reason Canada supports Zionism at home and abroad. In a November 13, 2023 article ‘The Canada Files’ noted that, “Canada's economic interests and investments in Israel, a crucial partner in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, play a significant role. The countries share a multifaceted relationship, including the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement that boosts Canadian companies' access to the Israeli market. Their cooperation extends to areas such as industrial research, energy, and security.
Canada's close alignment with the United States, Israel's main ally, is another factor. The Canada-US relationship, the world's largest trading partnership, often sees Canada mirroring US foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. Canada consistently supports Israel's right to “peace and security” regardless of how many Palestinians die.”
Canada Files Link: https://www.thecanadafiles.com/articles/canada/us-quiet-motive-for-backing-israels-genocide-the-ben-gurion-canal
If you believe that shared Canadian-Israeli economic interests are limited to crappy Hummus and SodaStream then you have been mislead. First there is the oil and natural gas; Trillions of cubic feet of gas plus condensate hydrocarbon discovered beneath Gaza and it's maritime boundaries two decades ago. According to the United Nations, “Geologists and natural resources economists have confirmed that the Occupied Palestinian Territory lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas wealth, in Area C of the occupied West Bank and the Mediterranean coast off the Gaza Strip.”
“The new discoveries of oil and natural gas in the Levant Basin, amounting to 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas at a net value of $453 billion (in 2017 prices) and 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil at a net value of about $71 billion, offer an opportunity to distribute and share a total of about $524 billion among the different parties, in addition to the many intangible but substantive advantages of energy security and cooperation among long-time belligerents.”
United Nations Link: https://unctad.org/publication/economic-costs-israeli-occupation-palestinian-people-unrealized-oil-and-natural-gas
Global Research Link (with video): https://www.globalresearch.ca/israel-gas-oil-and-trouble-in-the-levant/5362955
Then there is the 'Ben Gurion Canal Project' which will carve a new “Suez Canal” through the heart of Palestine, but it cannot be done while there are still people living in Gaza. According to plans drawn up in the 1960's the canal begins at the “...Gulf of Aqaba, by the port city of Eilat in Israel on the Israeli and Jordanian border, and winds its way through the Arabah Valley for about 100 km between the Negev Mountains and the Jordanian Highlands, veers West before the Dead Sea basin and the Dead Sea which is 430.5 metres below sea level, and heads through a valley in the Negev Mountain Range, then heads North again to get around the Gaza Strip and link up with the Mediterranean Sea.”
Canal Link 1: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/ben-gurion-canal-project
‘The Canada Files’ states, “The canal would provide new routes for oil and gas transport, reducing reliance on geopolitically sensitive areas like the Strait of Hormuz. As a major energy producer and consumer, Canada would benefit from diversified energy trading routes and enhanced trade opportunities with Israel and the region. Supporting this project ticks the box in the US/Canada/broader West’s aim to push back against China's rising influence, particularly in the Middle East and through the Belt and Road Initiative which the US sees as a threat.”
Although crappy Hummas and SodaStream will still be part of Canadian/Israeli trade, the Canal Project and those offshore hydrocarbon reserves will offer more substantial financial benefits to Canadian corporate interests including but certainly not limited to:
SNC-Lavalin: A leading engineering and construction company that has been involved in various infrastructure projects in Israel, such as the Carmel Tunnels, the Tel Aviv Light Rail, and the Ashdod Desalination Plant. SNC-Lavalin could potentially participate in the design, construction, and operation of the canal project, as well as provide consulting and management services.
Bombardier: A global transportation industry that has supplied rail vehicles and signaling systems to Israel Railways, as well as business jets and turboprops to Israeli customers. According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Canada was one of the top 10 suppliers of arms to Israel from 2014 to 2018, with a total value of $US 28 million.
Israel Railways, a government-owned entity, awarded a contract to Bombardier for the supply of 62 electric locomotives, in August 2015. This agreement also included an option to purchase an additional 32 locomotives, bringing the total value of the deal to 1 billion shekels (over US $260 million).This move was likely part of a broader Western strategy that envisions a transportation network starting with sea transit between India and Saudi Arabia, followed by rail transport through Saudi Arabia and the UAE, potentially extending to Jordan, and then maritime transit to Turkey, with subsequent rail connections.
Enbridge (and others): Enbridge operates the world's longest crude oil and liquids transportation system, as well as natural gas pipelines, processing plants, and renewable power generation facilities. Enbridge and other oil and gas corporations would potentially benefit from the canal project by having more access and options for their energy imports and exports, as well as by investing in or partnering with Israeli energy companies that are developing offshore natural gas fields and renewable energy projects.
My thanks to Canada Files for their excellent research and reporting.
Canada Files Link: https://www.thecanadafiles.com/articles/canada/us-quiet-motive-for-backing-israels-genocide-the-ben-gurion-canal
As a Canadian I am all in favour of international trade and of our investments in off-shore mining and resource recovery because the financial benefits, I am told, will trickle down to the average citizen. What troubles me is that our rush to make a buck is destroying the ecology, plus paying for the rape, enslavement and outright murder of citizens of those 'off-shore' locations; and we've been at it for decades.
A 2013 article in VICE Magazine notes that Canada is home to 75% of all mining companies in the world – we don't own all of them but their (mostly) foreign ownership believes that having a Canadian flag on their letterhead is the warm and fuzzy thing to do. VICE reports that, “All over the world, companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and run out of lawyer’s offices on Bay Street or skyscrapers in downtown Vancouver (whose real financiers may live in Australia or Nevada) are handling the mining game at home, throughout parts of Asia, South America and surprisingly, even with all the talk of China’s investment in Africa, it turns out that it’s Canada, not China, who is quietly dominating and exploiting African mining.
All told, almost 1,300 mining companies based out of Canada are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in over 100 countries around the world.”
VICE article Link: https://www.vice.com/en/article/wdb4j5/75-of-the-worlds-mining-companies-are-based-in-canada
Government of Canada Resource Extraction Link 1: https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/topics-domaines/other-autre/csr-strat-rse.aspx?lang=eng
In 2011 , 91% of Canadian investments on the African continent were concentrated in eight countries: South Africa (25.6%), DR Congo (17.8%), Madagascar (13.8%), Zambia (9.9%), Tanzania (9.5%), Ghana (6.5%), Burkina Faso (4.7%) and Mauritania (3%). By 2017 Canada had found itself embroiled in a host of human rights and environmental issues on almost every continent and we've earned the epithet, The Ugly Canadian.
Northern Ireland, Greece, Palestine/Israel, Argentina, Philippines, Madagascar, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Slovakia, Romania, Chile, Guatemala plus over 90 other nations are all suffering from 'Canadian' corruption within their governments which inevitably leads to widespread arrests, displacements, rapes and assassinations of citizens and environmentalists in those nations.
So no, I will never be surprised by what is done in the name of Canada because as the infamous, Jewish, Otto "Abbadabba" Berman used to say, “Nothing personal, it's just business.”
Thanks for reading and please see the various links below for details on Canadian adventures in global resource extraction.
Ted
Panama Corruption 2023 Link: https://dnyuz.com/2023/11/02/panamas-congress-backtracks-to-preserve-controversial-canadian-mining-contract/
Human Rights Violations 2019 Link: https://thenarwhal.ca/canadian-mining-companies-will-now-face-human-rights-charges-in-canadian-courts/
Plant A Tree, Save A Mine 2018 Link: https://biv.com/article/2018/12/miners-aim-rebuild-global-reputation
2017 Ugly Canadian Article Link: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/the-ugly-canadian-is-on-the-march-trudeau-is-its-new-face
CBC Article 2013 global protests Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canadian-mining-companies-subject-of-worldwide-protests-1.1368155
2012 El Salvador Corruption Link: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/canadian-mining-on-trial
2011 Canadian Mining Powerhouse Link: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/a-global-mining-powerhouse
2011 African Mining Link: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/canadian-mining-in-africa
2007 Hudson's Bay Mining rapes Guatemala Link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/canadian-mining-company-going-on-trial-for-alleged-gang-rapes-in-guatemala-1.3729562
Otto Berman Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Berman
SodaStream Link: https://palestinecampaign.org/sodastream/
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