Sanctions are an essential part of demonstrating disapproval for a country’s actions. Israel’s membership in various diplomatic and economic forums provides both an unmerited veneer of respectability and material support for its crimes. By calling for sanctions against Israel, campaigners educate society about violations of international law and seek to end the complicity of other nations in these violations.
Notably, Canada is required to hold Israel accountable for international legal violations and has a duty to take action to prevent certain crimes, including genocide. For instance, under Article 1 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, all high signatories, of which Canada is one, are required to take actions to ensure that violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention do not occur under any circumstance. Sanctions are one key way Canada can fulfill these obligations.
There are multiple types of sanctions including “government” and “cultural” sanctions. Government sanctions include economic and diplomatic penalties, while cultural sanctions include, for instance, suspension or expulsion from a sports or arts institution. But not all sanctions are created equal.
Sanctions as a Weapon of Imperialism
Sanctions, namely government sanctions, are a foreign policy tool used for the purpose of imperialism. It’s what the SanctionsKill campaign calls “economic warfare”. Sanctions are branded as a more “humane” tool to address some sort of “wrong”. But in reality, sanctions are often imposed as a coercive tool of imperialist governments. Sanctions have deadly impacts. This is not hyperbole. Sanctions cause approximately 564,000 deaths annually, with 51% of victims under the age of 5. This is similar to the global mortality rate from armed conflict.
BDS vs Imperial Sanctions
There is a difference between imperialist sanctions and sanctions rooted in the BDS movement. Sanctions rooted in the BDS movement are a grassroots response to confront western imperialism and settler colonialism and are a project of liberation and hope for the future. “BDS for Palestine is but one expression of a national liberation struggle that has been ongoing since the first Zionist settlement was established in 1878″ – SanctionsKill.
| IMPERIALIST ECONOMIC COERCIVE MEASURES | BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, AND SANCTIONS |
| Seek to coerce other countries to succumb to US interests | Called for by the grassroots in the targeted country to end the world’s complicity with an apartheid settler-colonial regime |
| Based on spurious accusations of human rights violations | Based on a consensus of the world’s people about grave human rights violations |
| Cause as many deaths as armed conflict | Seeks to end deaths from Zionist genocide |
| Illegal under international law if unilateral or if they impose collective punishment | A grassroots response to demand compliance with international law |
| Produces net transfer of wealth from Global South, consolidating US/western capitalist hegemony | Seeks to end settler colonial, white supremacist Zionist project that upholds US/western capitalist hegemony |
| A tool of US imperialism | Confronts US imperialism |
| Undermines national sovereignty | Anti-colonialist movement for democratic-national liberation |
| A project of death | A project of liberation and hope for the future |
How Do Sanctions Work?
“Government” Sanctions
Economic and diplomatic sanction campaigns pressure governments to
- Not aid or assist the maintenance of the occupation
- Ban business with illegal Israeli settlements
- End military trade and enforce an arms embargo
- Dissolve free-trade agreements
- Suspend Israel’s membership in international forums such as UN bodies.
Sanctions in Canada can be implemented under the:
- United Nations Act (UN Act) : To implement United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regimes under the
- Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) : To implement Canadian autonomous sanctions regimes.
- Pursuant to SEMA, sanctions may be ordered when gross and systematic human rights violations have been committed in a foreign state. Therefore, Canada’s own domestic law can call for sanctions based on Israel’s systemic human rights violations and violations against humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.
The Government of Canada should
- Take positive measures toward respecting international law, including banning illegal settlement products and services.
- Take all necessary measures to ensure full respect for and compliance with international law norms, including the Geneva Conventions, the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, and the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding third state obligations toward the OPT; and
- Abide by Canada’s obligations as a third state and as High Contracting Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, notably under Common Article 1, to respect and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law in the OPT in all circumstances
“Cultural” Sanctions
Cultural sanctions refer to the suspension or expulsion of a country from various cultural sectors such as sports and the arts. For instance, in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Russian athletes are not allowed to compete for Russia and can only participate as individuals, representing themselves. This sanction was implemented in response to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
Cultural sanctions campaigns pressure institutions to
- Suspend or expel Israel from sports participation
- Disengage all Israeli cultural institutions or artists
- Rescind funding for any institutions that support Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and genocide
- Suspend any partnerships with, or funding from, Israeli academic institutions
Sanctions in Canada
Economic and Diplomatic Sanctions
The Global Sanctions Coalition is coalition of organizations in Canada, the EU, UK, and US who are pushing for economic sanctions against entities involved in the occupation, apartheid, and genocide in Palestine. So far, the Global Sanctions Coalition has submitted three sanctions packages to the Government of Canada:
- Targeting Settler Infrastructure: World Zionist Organization, Israeli Minister of Settlements, and Keren Kayemet-LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund
- Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure in Gaza: Harel Libi + Libi Construction Ltd, Alon Elgali + Meshek Afar Ltd, and Uria Loberman + Uria Unit.
Take action by sending a letter to Prime Minister Carney and Foreign Minister Anand to say: Sanction Israel Now [English | French]
On December 28, 2025, Israel announced it plan to bar 37 humanitarian organizations from operating in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). As Al-Haq noted: “The announcement follows Israel’s introduction, in March 2025, of additional registration requirements, whose aim is to consolidate its genocidal conduct in Gaza –– of which denial of access to humanitarian aid remains a central element –– to further fragment and isolate the Palestinian people from international support.” Al-Haq called on all States and international organizations to take concrete actions, including to:
- Implement comprehensive diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel, a full two-way arms embargo, and a ban on trade in goods and services that sustain the settler colonial apartheid and occupation;
- Publicly condemn as unlawful Israeli and US sanctions against Palestinian human rights organizations and ensure continued financial and political support for their work;
- Revoke the status of settler charities and related illegal entities, revoke all benefits and State entitlements to unlawfully present settlers with dual nationalities, and implement legislation to prohibit the sale of settlement goods and services domestically;
Take action by sending a letter to Prime Minister Carney, Foreign Minister Anand, and your MP to demand action [English | French]
Cultural Sanctions
Israel has violated the principles of FIFA in a variety of ways that would normally warrant disciplinary actions, including a suspension of its membership. Instead, FIFA continues to support the Israel Football Association (IFA) while it:
- Illegally organizes soccer activities, namely FIFA-approved games, in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), in violation of Article 64(2) and 65 of the FIFA Statutes, as well as international law.
- Fails to manage its affairs independently, instead collaborating with the Israeli government and military, in violation of Article 19 of the FIFA Statutes and Article 7 of the UEFA Statutes.
- Supports the Israeli military, which is currently carrying out a genocide in Palestine, in obvious violation of countless international laws, and Article 3 of the FIFA Statutes, as well as Article 2 of the FIFA Human Rights Policy.
- Condones and supports its players who make genocidal statements and spew hate speech, along with football clubs that are belligerently racist, in violation of Articles 3 and 4 of the FIFA Statutes (and in violation of Concacaf Statutes Article 3).
As Canada prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, take action and send letters to Canada Soccer and Concafaf, saying it’s time to Kick Israel Out of FIFA [Canada Soccer| Concacaf]
In the Fall 2025, Tennis Canada hosted Israel as part of the Davis Cup. In contrast, Russia was (and continues to be) suspended from the Davis Cup after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Instead of heeding warnings from activists, academics, and the Halifax community (where the match was set to be played), Tennis Canada changed the match to a closed venue format. They claimed the measure was “taken to ensure the tie can proceed as safely as possible without disruption.” Tennis Canada further stated, “Ensuring the safety of everyone involved, including athletes, fans, staff, volunteers, and minors, such as ball kids, remains our top priority.” These actions show that Tennis Canada’s cowardice and knowledge that this event is a serious issue. The claim about “safety concerns” for “everyone involved,” including children, was clearly rooted in anti-Palestinian racism (APR). Tennis Canada’s rhetoric further entrenched the notion that Palestinians (and by affiliation, their supporters) are violent people who seek to cause harm. This language demonstrated Tennis Canada’s commitment to the dehumanization and demonization of Palestinians. Further, Tennis Canada’s claim to care about safety was nonsensical, when they chose to protect a genocidal state over the Palestinian people. By not only allowing, but facilitating the tennis match with Israel, Tennis Canada, Halifax, and all organizing bodies involved co-signed Israel’s actions.
In 2025, Pride Toronto faced escalating demands from activist groups to sever ties with corporate sponsors accused of funding Israel’s military operations in Palestine. This campaign from Queers4Palestine is part of a broader effort known as the PSP Campaign which promotes BDS compliance among Prides in Canada. The demand is not simply about boycotting institutions, but about Prides sanctioning entities that are complicit in Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and genocide. This means suspending institutions from participating. For instance, the “Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs”, a pro-Israel lobby group, is permitted to walk in the parade.