The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that they are launching an investigation into individuals they suspect of having participated in “genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity” during the Israel-Hamas war.
The RCMP referred to its quietly introduced investigation as a “sensitive matter” in its statement, which was released in response to news reports exposing the clearly anti-Israel probe. Despite their insistence that the investigation “does not target any community or group,” media outlets have sounded the alarm that Canadian citizens who have served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) could be in the crosshairs of police.
While the RCMP stated that the probe is not a “criminal investigation,” it added: “Should a perpetrator of core international crimesโsuch as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanityโwith the appropriate nexus to Canada be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation.”
The RCMP probe will include an “online portal available in French, English, Hebrew, and Arabic, to facilitate the structured and secure any submissions of information by the public and potential witnesses.” The Jerusalem Post highlighted that while the RCMP has launched investigations during previous global conflicts, it has not done so with similar outreach to the public.
In light of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent statements alongside the UK and France, there is a tremendous concern that under the ruling Liberal government, dual-citizen IDF soldiersโactive-duty and reservistโcould face charges of “war crimes.”
The Prime Minister, in a shameful joint statement last month, called the actions of the IDF “egregious” under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and threatened to impose sanctions on Israel for what they deemed to be “breach[es] of international humanitarian law.”
“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza,” they stated. “The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.”
The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7th, 2023, when armed Palestinian terroristsโand “civilians”โin Gaza invaded southern Israel en masse, brutally massacring over 1,200 Israelis and taking hundreds hostage into the network of tunnels under the strip. Since that time, Israel has carried out precise military operations to eliminate Hamas in its entirety while taking extensive precautions to protect civilian life. The efforts by Israel to safeguard the lives of Gazans have extended far beyond any other military in history and have included supplying nearly 1.8 million tons of aid to the strip from the beginning of the war to February 2025.
The RCMP’s probe echoes an incident that occurred in Brazil earlier this year when an IDF soldier was forced to cut short his vacation after a Federal Court in the country demanded the police launch an investigation of “war crimes” into the soldier. According to the unnamed soldier’s father, an arrest warrant was also issued for his son. Israel’s Foreign Ministry afterward advised IDF soldiers abroad not to publicly mention their military service on social media, warning that “anti-Israeli elements may exploit these posts to initiate futile legal proceedings against them.”
As Israel’s Foreign Ministry rightfully highlighted, IDF soldiers globally face being used as examples by staunchly anti-Israel governments and courts. Israeli soldiers are not the only ones being targeted with biased charges and investigations. Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged “war crimes” in Gaza, a move which Israel, Hungary, the United States under the Trump Administration, and other nations have firmly condemned.
Robert Gottselig, Executive Director of the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Canada, spoke out against the anti-Israel statements by the Liberal Government, cautioning: “This will not bring blessing to Canada; it will bring curses upon my country, as the God of this universe promised in Genesis 12:3.”
“If world leaders wanted to put an end to this war, they should have told Hamas to release the remaining hostages, surrender, and lay down their weapons,” he underscored, noting that the Prime Minister’s joint statement with the UK and France “won the praise of Hamas.”
“Shame on Canada and shame on Canada’s Liberal Party for their anti-Israel rhetoric. All their actions serve to do is pour more fuel on the already out-of-control fire of antisemitism scorching our country,” Gottselig stressed. “Our Jewish community here in Canada is already on edge, feeling increasingly vulnerable and scared. Many are wondering how safe it is to remain here in CanadaโThis is on you, Mr. Carney.”
“Standing with terrorists who are trying to destroy Israel is not going to bring blessing to your country; it is, without question, going to bring curses,” he reiterated. “In Genesis 12:3, God says that He will bless those who bless the Jewish people and curse those who curse them. It is really that simple.”
