There are a few colossal omissions in Mr. Fremeth’s argument which need highlighting. When CIFTA was signed thirty years ago Israel had not yet committed it’s sadistic genocide against the Palestinain people, which continues to this day. Most Canadians would accept the idea that there are higher principles than just making money. Not being complicit in genocide is one of them.
To the Financial Post,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding your article “Israel was Canada's first free-trade partner outside North America. It's time to rekindle that relationship” by Howard Fremeth published by the Financial Post on July 28, 2026.
Firstly, this is an opinion piece and should be categorized as such and not as “news”. Mr. Fremeth’s letter is pure speculation and interpretation, which qualifies as opinion. To label it “news” is grossly misleading and a violation of journalistic ethics and should be immediately corrected.
In addition to this there is a false sentence near the beginning of the article.
It states, “The agreement was supported by the Palestinian leadership, because it extended to the Palestinian Territories, providing important economic benefits to Palestinian businesses and workers.”
Where is the evidence to back up this claim?
In fact all evidence points to the opposite - Palestinians never signed nor gave their consent to CIFTA. They were not involved or even consulted in a meaningful way. The article itself even states this in contradiction to the claim, “Since the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement went into force, bilateral trade has more than tripled.” This refers to two parties, not three. CIFTA operates as if the illegally occupied territories have already been annexed to Israel, treating both Palestinian goods and Israeli settlements as Israeli in contradiction of Canada’s longstanding position on settlements as illegal. This legitimizes illegal settlements and is yet another hurdle to peace and a two state solution. These things are not in Canada's interest.
There are a few colossal omissions in Mr. Fremeth’s argument which need highlighting. When CIFTA was signed thirty years ago Israel had not yet committed it’s sadistic genocide against the Palestinain people, which continues to this day. Most Canadians would accept the idea that there are higher principles than just making money. Not being complicit in genocide is one of them.
Does Mr. Fremeth also advocate for Canada to strengthen economic ties and “rekindle” relationships with other foreign countries, like Russia?
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.
Jeff Winch