Zionist Group Sending Canadians to Help Israeli Army Faces Legal Challenges

Ottawa (Quds News Network)- A Canadian-based Zionist organization, Sar-El, which facilitates ‘volunteer work’ on Israeli military bases, is under renewed scrutiny for recruiting Canadians to support Israel’s genocide and war crimes, reported CBC. The organization’s activities have raised legal questions, with critics stating its recruitment practices violate the Foreign Enlistment Act, a Canadian law prohibiting citizens from joining foreign militaries. Sar-El denies that all, arguing that it merely ‘coordinates volunteer support for non-combat logistical tasks’ within the Israeli army.

Since the Israeli genocide erupted last year, Sar-El claims to have recruited over 40,000 volunteers from around the world to provide logistical support for the Israeli occupation army. These volunteers engage in activities such as packing food supplies, cleaning, and repairing equipment on Israeli army bases, tasks the organization claims are far from the front lines. However, some experts argue that even non-combat roles assisting a foreign military are illegal under Canadian law.

War Crimes for Canadian Volunteers

Among Sar-El’s recent volunteers is a 42-year-old Toronto business owner, Daniel (name changed for anonymity), who said he joined Sar-El to show solidarity with Israeli soldiers. “For me, it was an opportunity to give back to the brave [Israeli] soldiers who are fighting,” he told Radio-Canada. “It’s a way to get involved with the war effort.” Daniel volunteered at a military base in the Negev Desert in both February and August, staying each time for five days. Despite the region’s wartime risks, he described feeling secure on the base, saying, “I went [to Israel] with the mentality that what will be, will be.”

In a different account, another Canadian from Montreal recounted his experience in Eilat, where he claims he faced “rocket fire close enough to feel the air shake.” This colonizer also detailed his experience of seeing the same types of attacks that were previously “only on TV from thousands of miles away” now aimed directly at him and his fellow ‘volunteers’.

Legal Battles and the Foreign Enlistment Act

In Canada, Sar-El faces a renewed legal challenge spearheaded by David Mivasair, an Ontario-based rabbi, and Rehab Nazzal, a Toronto-based artist of Palestinian descent. They confirm that Sar-El’s recruitment of Canadians to work on Israeli military bases violates the Foreign Enlistment Act, which prohibits any non-government group from encouraging Canadians to serve with foreign armed forces. Their lawyer, Shane Martinez, describes Sar-El’s recruitment as a “blatant” violation of Canadian law, stating, “Imagine if there was an organization in Canada recruiting volunteers for the Russian army… the government wouldn’t allow it for a second.”

Although the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) initially dropped the case last year due to “lack of evidence,” Mivasair and Nazzal are now appealing the decision to the Ontario Court of Appeal, stressing that the government acted in bad faith by not pursuing the case. Martinez further highlighted that Sar-El’s volunteers wear military-style uniforms, stay on Israeli military bases, and perform duties akin to those of enlisted soldiers.

In response, Sar-El maintains that its volunteers do not serve in combat roles or undergo formal military training. Sue Potechin, who organized a Sar-El volunteer information session in Ottawa in September, told Radio-Canada that Sar-El’s volunteers are akin to “tourists who want to help” and perform tasks “such as cleaning kitchens and sorting boxes.”

A Surge in Canadians’ Recruitment Amid Changing Strategies

Sar-El, founded in 1983, claims to have sent more than 240,000 volunteer colonizers to Israel. According to CEO Keren Dahan, the organization has broadened its recruitment strategy to attract younger volunteer colonizers, reaching out to schools, synagogues, and social media platforms. Dahan also noted a significant rise in participation among non-Jewish volunteer colonizers from countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and China.

The minimum age for Sar-El volunteers is 17, though 16-year-olds can participate with parental consent. Volunteer colonizers pay around $120 for one week and $60 for each additional week on Israeli military bases, according to the Sar-El website. Daniel, the Toronto volunteer colonizer, observed that his group included recruits from various religious and national backgrounds, underscoring Sar-El’s global outreach and increasingly diverse participant base.

Canadian Government Stance and Travel Advisory

Currently, the Canadian government recommends against all travel to Israel due to heightened security risks, with Hezbollah rockets frequently striking areas across the occupation state. More than 6,000 Canadians are reportedly in the occupation state, according to Global Affairs Canada.

As Sar-El’s appeal heads to the Ontario Court of Appeal, the outcome could set a legal precedent on Canadian citizens’ participation in foreign militaries and support roles. The court’s decision may impact the activities of similar Zionist organizations and clarify Canada’s position on foreign military recruitment.