The Canada-Israel "Public Security" Agreement Ottawa & Tel Aviv collaborate in counter-terrorism & Homeland securityby Michel Chossudovsky
April 2, 2008
Canada and Israel have signed a far-reaching public security cooperation agreement.
The agreement, described as a "Partnership", involves a "Declaration of Intent" by the two governments. The Declaration was signed in Tel Aviv on March 23:
"Today, the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety Canada and Avi Dicter, Minister of Public Security of the Government of the State of Israel, signed a Declaration of Intent to enhance cooperation in the area of public safety.
“The Government of Canada is committed to enhancing the security of Canadians – both through our actions at home and with our international partners.” said Minister Day. “Today’s declaration demonstrates the longstanding cooperation between Canada and Israel on public safety issues, and we welcome this increased cooperation in order to improve our countries’ capacity to protect our citizens.”
This declaration will allow Canada and Israel to better enhance cooperation in the areas of organized crime, emergency management, crime prevention, and other related public safety concerns. The declaration seeks to establish a more structured framework for the continued cooperation on public safety issues between Canada and Israel.
“The Declaration of Intent is an opportunity for Canada and Israel to strengthen their commitment to safeguarding their citizens and respective national interests from common threats,” said Minister Dicter." ( http://www.ps-sp.gc.ca/app_support/xml/ps_news_e.xml)
Stockwell Day and Avi Dictershake hands upon signing the Declaration
Cheney Mission to the Middle East Shrouded in Secrecy
Canada's Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day was in Israel on the same day as Vice Cheney Dick Cheney.
Coincidentally, a US mission led by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff was also in Israel on official business, as guest of Israel's Minister of Public Security, Avi Dicter. There are no reports on Canada-US-Israeli consultations during these official visits. In all likelihood, officials from the respective departments/ministries of US Homeland Security, Israel's Public Security and Canada's Public Safety had meetings behind closed doors.
Michael Chertoff and Avi DicterTerms of Reference of the Partnership
Israel's Ministry of Public Security carries out public security, law enforcement activities. It is also in charge of the operation of Israel’s prisons, which are in large part used to detain Palestinians.
Canada's Ministry of Public Safety, established in 2003, is a copy and paste version of US Homeland Security. Public Safety Canada has a close bilateral relationship with US Hoemland Security.
Public Safety Canada works closely with several government agencies including the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Officials from these agencies have no doubt been consulted regarding the terms of reference of the Israel-Canada declaration.
The terms reference of the Canada-Israel Declaration are extremely broad. They include issues of immigration and ethnic profiling, the management of borders, intelligence and the exchange of information, emergency preparedness, correctional services, prisons, law enforcement and counter-terrorism.
The Declaration of Intent involves the setting up of a close bilateral cooperation arrangement at the ministerial level. A management committee has been set up under the helm of the Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada, and the Director General of Public Security of the State of Israel.
Senior Israeli and Canadian officials respectively from Israel's Ministry of Public Security and from various Canadian federal departments and agencies (including the RCMP, CSIS and CBSA), which are under the jurisdiction of Stockwell Day's ministry would carry out "an approved program of work".
The programme would be implemented by a Senior Coordinator from each country, namely, the Assistant Deputy Minister (Strategic Policy) for Canada's Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Deputy Director General of Israel's Ministry of Public Security of the State of Israel;
The agreements requires the two countries to "[b]uild on their shared commitment to facilitate and enhance cooperation to protect their respective countries' population, assets and interests from common threats".
What type of border security and control of immigrants is involved?
How does this impinge upon Canada's immigration procedures?
The agreement appears to be built upon a much broader agreement between Canada and the US in the area of Homeland Security. However, it also replicates the pattern of a February 2006 agreement reached between US Homeland Security and Israel's Ministry of Public Security
The Israel-Canada agreement has been in the pipeline since Israel's Public Security Minister Avi Dicter's October 2007 visit to the US and Canada. Avi Dicter met Stockwell Day last October in Toronto "with the intention on establishing cooperation on homeland security" and counter-terrorism.
Nature of the Agreement
Israel is not part of North America. Canada and Israel do not share a common border. So what is the underlying agenda?
Will Canada assist Israel in policing its border with Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories?
Conversely, will Israeli officials assist Canada in ethnic profiling of people (including biometric applications, which is mentioned in the agreement) who visit Canada from the Middle East?
Will Israeli officials have access to confidential files of Canadians?
What type of cooperation is envisaged in the areas of prisons and law enforcement? Interrogation techniques? Are Israeli consultants going to help us reorganize our correctional services?
The agreement would allow officials from the State of Israel, a country on record for its numerous human rights violations acts directed against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, to play a role in Canadian public security. In this regard, will Israeli officials assist the RCMP and CSIS in the profiling of Canadians citizens who are Muslims. This ethnic profiling is already applied at Canadian airports.
Will Israeli officials assist their Canadian counterparts in dealing with individuals and/or organizations in Canada involved in supporting the rights of Palestinians. Will Israeli officials assist their Canadian counterparts in the domestic "war on terrorism", which in the post 9/11 period has led to numerous arbitrary detentions on trumped-up charges.
At the same time, the Declaration establishes a de facto complicit relationship whereby Canadian officials (RCMP, etc) would contribute to assisting Israel in its domestic police and border activities (e.g. Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank), not under the auspices of the United Nations, but directly in cooperation with Israeli police and security officials.
In fact, Canada's "contribution" to the policing of Israel's borders with Gaza and the West Bank is already part of a 300 million dollar aid package in support of the "peace process". According to Public Safety Canada, "a significant component [of the 300 million will be] devoted to security, including policing and public order capacity-building. This five year commitment will go towards the creation of a democratic, accountable, and viable Palestinian state that lives in peace and security alongside Israel." (Marketwire, Ottawa, March 24, 2008)
Following his meeting with his counterpart Avi Dicter, Stockwell Day's had meetings on the 24th of March in the West Bank with President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, where issues pertaining to Canada's peace package, including police training and capacity building were discussed. "I was pleased to meet with Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad to discuss public safety issues of mutual interest," said Minister Day. Stockwell Day also visited a West Bank prison as well as a police training center in Jericho. (Ibid)
Canada's stance in support of the US-Israeli sponsored regime of Mahmoud Abbas will be used to repress Hamas, which is the duly elected government. It will contribute to worsening the situation in the occupied territories.
Counter-terrorism and Homeland Security
The issue of "counter-terrorism" is not mentioned explicitly in the Declaration of Intent. The terms of reference, however, suggest that the "war on terrorism" is an integral part of the agreement.
In early February 2007, Minister Avi Dicter addressed the public security committee of the Canadian House of Commons: "Iran is the largest terrorist state in the world" Dichter said. In his discussion with Canadian MPs, Dichter "laid out what he believes to be the guidelines for Canadian-Israeli security cooperation in the future, possibly similar to the agreement that the minister signed a day later in Washington DC." (Jerusalem Post, 7 February 2007)
"The Canadian MPs echoed their American compatriots in addressing the former Shin Bet head as a world expert in the field of terror rather than as a visiting minister of a foreign government, asking him at one point what specific steps the parliament could take to prevent terror attacks on Canadian soil. In his answer, Dichter reiterated the importance of strengthening border security and use of proper investigative methods with suspects." (ibid)
During a followup official visit of Israel's Minister of Public Security Avi Dicter to Canada in late October 2007, meetings of Israeli and Canadian officials were held behind closed doors to discuss a blueprint for cooperation in the areas of homeland security and counter-terrorism. The meetings chaired by Stockwell Day were held in Toronto on October 29, 2007. A so-called "Arrangement Paper" was to be drafted with a view to defining "the actions of the competent structures at ministerial, central and subordinate/local levels for preventing and fighting home land securities issues":
"The parties have agreed to intensify future cooperation by identifying ways of direct communication in order to maximize the exchange of information, technology and operational activity. For the same reason it has been agreed to accelerate negotiations for the signing of an Arrangement Paper between the two Ministries on cooperation in home land security and counter terrorism issues which falls within the responsibility of the respective Ministries.
...
Negotiations on the arrangement paper mentioned above will take place as necessary. The signing of the arrangement paper will be held on an occasion and place coordinated in advance between the Ministries.
The two Ministers agreed that by early November three work teams will be established in order to promote the cooperation between the two ministries on the following subjects: • Counterterrorism and Crime • Emergency preparedness • Border crossing security, focusing on biometric identification"
(Official communique of Israel's Ministry of Public Security,
http://www.mops.gov.il/BPEng/MOPS+News/DicterWithCanadianMinister_30_10_07.htm )
The "Arrangement paper" refers to the draft text of The Declaration of Intent, which was signed in Tel Aviv on March 23, 2008. The two governments chose to sign the agreement during a week of intense diplomatic activity in Tel Aviv, involving the concurrent visits of the Vice President of the US, the US Secretary of the Department Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and other senior officials.
The final text of the Declaration of Intent remains vague. "Counter-terroism" and the "Homeland" are not explicitly mentioned in the final text of the Declaration signed on March 23.
Legal Implications
The text of the Declaration of Intent states that ":{it] is not intended to create legally binding obligations, under either domestic or international law. Yet, at the outset, it violates several fundamental principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
The Canada-Israel Public Security agreement has barely been mentioned by the Canadian media.
It has not been the object of a debate in parliament. Why has this issue not been brought to the forefront of public debate? Why has the parliamentary opposition remained mum on the subject?
It should be forcefully challenged in Canada's courts.
========================
Sécurité publique Canada
(English)
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--(Marketwire - 23 mars 2008) - Aujourd'hui, l'honorable Stockwell Day, ministre de la Sécurité publique du Canada, et Avi Dicter, ministre de la Sécurité publique du gouvernement de l'Etat d'Israël, ont signé une Déclaration d'intention visant à accroître la coopération dans le domaine de la sécurité publique.
"La déclaration d'aujourd'hui témoigne de la coopération de longue date entre le Canada et Israël en matière de sécurité publique", a dit le ministre Day. "Le gouvernement du Canada voit d'un bon oeil une plus grande coopération avec Israël dans le but d'accroître la capacité de nos deux pays de protéger nos citoyens".
Cette déclaration permettra au Canada et à Israël de mieux dégager les priorités et de mieux gérer les activités de coopération bilatérales touchant le crime organisé, la gestion des urgences, la prévention de la criminalité et d'autres secteurs de préoccupation liés à la sécurité publique. La déclaration vise à améliorer la coopération bilatérale en matière de sécurité entre le Canada et Israël.
"La Déclaration d'intention est l'occasion pour le Canada et Israël de renforcer leur engagement à l'égard de la protection de leurs citoyens et de leurs intérêts nationaux respectifs contre des menaces communes", a déclaré le ministre Dicter.
(...)
DOCUMENT D'INFORMATION
Le ministère de la Sécurité publique et de la Protection civile du Canada et le ministère de la Sécurité publique du gouvernement de l'Etat d'Israël déclarent leur intention :
1. D'établir un ordre de priorité et de gérer la collaboration dans les domaines de responsabilité suivants de leur ministère :
i) gestion et sécurité des frontières; y compris les applications biométriques;
ii) services et établissements correctionnels;
iii) prévention de la criminalité;
iv) protection des infrastructures essentielles;
v) gestion des urgences;
vi) immigration illégale;
vii) application de la loi;
viii) blanchiment d'argent;
ix) crime organisé;
x) financement du terrorisme;
xi) trafic de personnes.
2. D'atteindre les objectifs suivants :
i) miser sur leur engagement commun pour faciliter et accroître la collaboration en vue de protéger la population de leur pays, leurs biens et leurs intérêts respectifs contre les menaces communes;
ii) intégrer et coordonner les efforts communs de détermination, d'établissement des priorités et de mise en oeuvre entre les deux parties dans le domaine de la sécurité publique;
iii) gérer la mise en oeuvre des activités conjointes approuvées dans le cadre de la présente déclaration;
iv) établir des lignes de communication et des points de contact clairs entre les deux parties dans le cadre d'un processus permanent de dialogue et de partenariat visant à atteindre des buts communs;
v) partager ou faire part des connaissances, de l'expérience, de l'expertise, de l'information, des recherches et des pratiques exemplaires;
vi) déterminer et mettre en commun les préoccupations en matière de sécurité publique en fonction des menaces, des évaluations du risque, des priorités, des vulnérabilités et des conséquences;
vii) favoriser les échanges techniques, notamment dans les domaines de l'éducation, de la formation et des exercices.
(...)
Renseignements :
Cabinet de l'honorable Stockwell Day
Ministre de la Sécurité publique
Mélisa Leclerc
Directrice des communications
613-991-2863
Cabinet d'Avi Dicter
Ministre de la Sécurité publique du gouvernement
de l'Etat d'Israël
Shani Banker
Attaché de presse
972 2 50 6272094
agreement here:
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2008/nr20080323-1-eng.aspx
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2008/nr20080323-eng.aspx
Video: Nouvel élan pour les relations entre le Québec et Israël, Comité Québec-Israël, 12/12/2007
What has the Israel Allies Caucus been up to? Ap 21 2007
NEWS BLACKOUT: Shadowy Canadian Parliamentary Lobby Group Formed, Feb 21 2007
An Israeli defense technologies firm was named as the most ethical foreign company that works with the U.S. government, JTA, 04/02/2008
