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)
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.
Terms 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 Homeland 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;
Nature of the Agreement
The agreement 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.
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?
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