Canada's central labour union says workers will not handle military cargo going to Israel

After a landmark vote on Thursday, Canada's central labour union, representing some 3 million workers across the country, has announced that it will "refuse to handle weapons and military equipment destined for Israel". The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) said in a statement that it supported the resolution "in solidarity with Palestinian workers and their families, and with all those calling for peace, justice and respect for international law". It demanded the government of Canada do the same and "end all direct and indirect transfers of arms and military equipment to Israel". Last year, Middle East Eye reported that the Canadian government misled the public when it said it was pausing all new weapons export permits to Israel. Commercially available data showed shipments not only continued but were actually fast-tracked - and sometimes via indirect routes such as through the United States, according to findings compiled by an all-volunteer team from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and the groups World Beyond War and Arms Embargo Now. Ottawa, the groups said, wanted to placate an electorate that has expressed growing dissatisfaction with how the Liberal Party has responded to Israel's war on Gaza - but without actually reversing its policy of unconditional support for Israel, as it publicly pledged. Read more: Canada's central labour union says workers will not handle military cargo going to Israel Shipping containers are seen in the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, on 23 August 2026 (Andrej Ivanov/AFP)