Canada-Israel relations
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Bilateral relations
Canada recognized the State of Israel upon its founding in 1948, and the two countries established formal diplomatic relations on May 11, 1949. Canada and Israel have developed an exceptional bilateral relationship based on mutual cooperation in a number of key strategic areas.
Canada and Israel have strong, multidimensional bilateral relations, marked by close political, economic, social and cultural ties. Support for Israel, especially its right to live in peace and security with its neighbours, has been at the core of Canada’s Middle East policy since 1948.
One of the underlying strengths of the Canada-Israel bilateral relationship lies in the extensive people-to-people ties. There are approximately 35,000 Canadian citizens living in Israel and many Canadians, including those with family in Israel, travel to the country every year. The Canadian-Jewish community, which numbers around 400,000, serves as an integral bridge between Canada and Israel. These informal ties give rise to significant cooperation between our two countries in business, philanthropy, culture and tourism.
The bilateral relationship is further strengthened by the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership MOU, a mutually beneficial agreement that facilitates deeper cooperation in several areas, including energy, security, international aid and development, innovation and the promotion of human rights globally. This partnership document provides the framework for a number of more specific bilateral agreements.
Canada is represented in Israel by the Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv. The Government of the State of Israel is represented in Canada by an embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Montréal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario.
Trade relations
Various bilateral agreements support Canada’s commercial relations with Israel. These include:
- Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (2016)
- Air Transport Agreement (last expanded in 2017)
- Canada-Israel Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation in Industrial Research and Development
- Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) (1997, modernized 2019)
- The CIFTA was Canada’s first FTA outside of North America, following the NAFTA (1994). Its modernization improves access to the Israeli market for Canadian companies, and new inclusive trade provisions on gender, small and medium-sized enterprises and corporate social responsibility, as well as new labour and environmental protections, signals the importance of ensuring that the benefits and opportunities that flow from trade and investment are widely shared.
Israel is an important economic partner for Canada in the Middle East, with a full range of business possibilities including trade and investment. Since the original CIFTA entered into force in 1997, two-way merchandise trade has more than tripled, totalling more than $1.8 billion in 2024. Canadian direct investment in Israel reached $1.5 billion and Israeli direct investment in Canada reached $1.9 billion in 2023.
A key element of the commercial relationship is collaboration in science, technology and innovation (STI). Bilateral STI relations are strong, developed through more than 20 years of close collaboration. The Government of Canada has partnered with Israel to support joint research, development and commercialization projects. The governments of Ontario and Quebec have also established programs to support companies and researchers pursuing partnerships with Israel.
Canada’s top merchandise exports to Israel in 2024 include electronics, oilseeds, vehicles, machinery and equipment, and pharmaceutical products. Canada’s top merchandise imports from Israel in 2024 include machinery and equipment, scientific and precision instruments, electronics, plastics, and pharmaceutical products.
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Operations
Canada is committed to supporting peace and security for Israel and the region. The Canadian Armed Forces contribute to three multinational missions to this end: supporting security assistance to the Palestinian Authority through the Office of the Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority; implementing the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israel Treaty of Peace through the Multinational Force and Observers mission based in the Sinai Peninsula; and contributing to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization which monitors compliance with respect to both the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Israel work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Pacific Alliance
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
Relations bilatérales
Le Canada et l’Égypte entretiennent des liens établis et diversifiés qui reposent sur plus de 70 ans de relations diplomatiques. Outre le maintien d'une forte coopération au service du développement, des liens commerciaux qui ne cessent de croître et des rapports interpersonnels dynamiques, le Canada travaille avec l’Égypte à l’avancement de questions d’intérêts communs, notamment la promotion de la paix, de la stabilité et de la sécurité dans les régions du Moyen-Orient et de l’Afrique.
Mobilisation du Canada en Égypte
Les principaux aspects liés à la relation entre le Canada et l’Égypte incluent :
- le développement du commerce bilatéral croissant
- une coopération relative au maintien de la paix internationale, notamment au moyen d’une participation à la Force multinationale et Observateurs, au Sinaï
- la promotion de la gouvernance démocratique, le pluralisme et les droits de la personne, y compris les droits des femmes et des filles et le droit à la liberté d’expression et d’association
- le soutien d’une croissance inclusive et la réduction de la pauvreté
Le Canada est une destination importante pour les immigrants égyptiens; il y a approximativement 105 000 individus d’origine égyptienne au Canada, qui forment des collectivités dynamiques à travers le pays. La diaspora canadienne en Égypte, comptant approximativement 25 000 individus, illustre également les liens étroits qui unissent le Canada et l’Égypte.
Relations commerciales
Le commerce bilatéral entre le Canada et l'Égypte totalise 760 millions de dollars en 2024. Les exportations canadiennes vers l'Égypte, quant à elles, s'élevaient à 436 millions de dollars en 2024. Les principales exportations de marchandises canadiennes vers l'Égypte étaient la machinerie, le minerai, le fer et l’acier, les produits laitiers, les céréales et les légumes. Dans les dernières années, l’or, les textiles et les vêtements figuraient parmi les importations principales.
L’éducation est une composante majeure des relations bilatérales entre le Canada et l’Égypte. Établi dans la nouvelle capitale administrative de l’Égypte, le campus Universities of Canada in Egypt a été inauguré en 2018 et accueille les antennes locales d’universités canadiennes.
Les entreprises canadiennes ont des investissements importants en Égypte dans les secteurs des produits pétrochimiques et du pétrole et du gaz.
Liens connexes
Développement
Le Canada appuie des besoins de développement en Égypte en s’associant à des organisations canadiennes, locales et internationales. L’aide au développement du Canada en Égypte se concentre sur la sécurité alimentaire, la santé et le soutien aux réfugiés et aux personnes déplacées. Les programmes visent à renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et la résilience de l'Égypte face aux effets des changements climatiques, à améliorer les droits en matière de santé reproductive des femmes et des filles, et à aider les réfugiés, les personnes déplacées et les communautés d'accueil vulnérables en Égypte. La promotion de l'égalité des genres et de du renforcement économique des femmes est un thème transversal des programmes du Canada en Égypte.
Partenariats et organisations
Afin de trouver des réponses efficaces aux défis mondiaux pressants d’aujourd’hui, le Canada et l’Égypte collaborent également de façon étroite dans le cadre de forums multilatéraux, notamment :
- Alliance du Pacifique
- La Francophonie
- Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU)
- Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’éducation, la science et la culture (UNESCO)
- Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC)
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