Canadian Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi said those who have served in the IDF should be screened to ensure they have not been involved in any breaches of international law before entering Canada.
His comments were made during a House Immigration Committee, during which Zuberi questioned Aaron McCrorie, vice president of intelligence and enforcement at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), over whether current screening is sufficient.
Zuberi said he is only referring to “non-Canadian citizens,” implying Israeli Jews; however, whether or not this extends to binational individuals is unclear.
Accusations of war crimes
“With respect to Gaza, Israeli human rights organizations like B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence have said that war crimes have been committed and crimes against humanity have been committed,” began Zuberi.
“Are you presently satisfied that the safety and security of Canadians is intact, given the level of screening happening right now for those who are involved in conflict that are seeking to enter Canada from the IDF within the last two years?”
McCrorie responded that all security screening is based on thematic indicators developed with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, but that this is a constant process and not specific to any conflict zone.
“That is what our raison d’etre is, and that’s the challenge in terms of the volumes we’re facing and the need for a timely decision, but also, we need to take time to get that decision right, regardless of where the conflict zone is, so that is what we do every day in security screening.”
Zuberi then asked whether any applicants from the IDF have been refused entry to Canada over the last two years because of potential involvement in war crimes or crimes against humanity, to which McCrorie responded that he was not aware of any.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims reposted the video, adding that “any member of any military who violates international law and is credibly accused of war crimes must be held to account. Canada must align itself fully with human rights and international law, including at our borders.”
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East concurred: “Anyone who participated in genocide and war crimes should be held accountable!”
“There was no reason for a member of parliament to be engaging so specifically on the topic of Israelis and members of the IDF during a meeting about protecting Canada’s border security,” Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, in response.
“There has been no evidence to suggest Israelis would pose a threat to Canada’s borders or Canadians in general,” he added.
Robertson referred to the situation as a “kangaroo court” where Israel is being held to a double standard in the parliament of one of its Western allies.
“If Canada wants to be a leader in the proliferation of international human rights and the investigation of war crimes internationally, it is incumbent on Canada to use the powers it has to investigate Hamas and hold Hamas accountable. Canada has said Hamas has no part to play in the future of Gaza, so, given such a statement, it is Canada’s responsibility to investigate Hamas.”
In June 2025, it was revealed that the Canadian federal police service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), had begun investigating alleged war crimes during the Gaza war. According to a source with knowledge, Canada’s RCMP has been pushed since 2024 to open a war crimes probe into Hamas and Palestinians in the Gaza war. This has since expanded to include Israeli Canadians.
The RCMP confirmed to The Jerusalem Report that it had launched a “structural investigation” into the Israel-Hamas conflict in early 2024 as part of its mandate to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.
Gil Lewinsky contributed to this report.