Where does the Canada-Israel relationship stand?

Earlier this week, 12 Canadians returned home from Turkey after their Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted by Israeli guards. Video posted by Israel's National Defence Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, showed hundreds of activists handcuffed, kneeled with their heads touching the ground, as he taunted them after being arrested. The footage sparked wide-spread backlash and condemnation, including from Israel's Prime Minister, as well as Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Host Maria Kestane speaks to Jon Allen, the former Canadian ambassador to Israel and a senior fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. They discuss how Israel is interpreting Ben-Gvir's post, what more Canada should do to show support for the dozen flotilla activists, and where the Canadian-Israeli relationship goes from here.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.