Thursday's announcement is designed to help bring Canadians to safety as the conflict between Israel and Iran shows no sign of abating.Leo Correa/The Associated Press
Ottawa says it is helping to organize commercial flights for Canadians in Israel, the West Bank and Iran to leave the Middle East, but they will have to get to neighbouring countries first.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed in a post on X that the government is “planning commercial options for Canadians in Israel, the West Bank, and Iran to leave the region via certain neighbouring countries.”
The announcement is designed to help bring Canadians to safety as the conflict between Israel and Iran shows no sign of abating. But on Thursday, Ottawa faced criticism for not actively helping stranded citizens.
Global Affairs Canada says more than 4,000 Canadians are registered in Iran and more than 6,000 in Israel. Registration is voluntary, so there are likely more citizens living there.
It was unclear Thursday where the government expected Canadians to travel to, with some Iranians attempting to cross the vast country to Turkey to board flights.
Members of Canada’s Jewish community and visitors to Israel expressed frustration that Ottawa is not doing more to help Canadians get home.
Israeli airspace is closed and flights out of the country are grounded.
A notice sent to Canadians in Israel who have registered with Ottawa echoed Ms. Anand’s post. But the Global Affairs statement did not say where Canadians in Israel should go to board commercial flights.
“We will contact you as soon as departure options for which you are eligible become available,” the notice added.
Canadian visitors to Israel complained that they have heard nothing.
In a statement Thursday evening, Global Affairs said, “Hundreds of Canadians are currently leaving Israel and the West Bank on their own through various routes. Some are travelling by land through border crossings, while others are departing by sea, including a group of Canadians who travelled by ship to Cyprus. Canadian officials were on hand in Cyprus to offer assistance.”
“Many Canadians have exited Iran via various land borders,” it added.
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Among the Canadians left to find their own way out is former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri. She was on her first visit to Israel with other former MPs and MLAs when the hostilities began.
Speaking from an airport in Jordan, she said that on the first night she arrived in Jerusalem, sirens went off and she had to seek shelter in her hotel’s stairway.
She then left for another town in Israel, from where she watched rockets hit Tel Aviv. “The alarms went off and I went outside. That was the night Tel Aviv was hit, and I saw the rocket get through the Iron Dome. It was a life-changing thing to see. It’s a very rattling experience,” she said.
She eventually crossed into Jordan, after friends in Canada who had visited Israel helped her map a safe route over the border. She said the situation was so precarious she wore running shoes in case she had to run.
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Ms. Ferreri was critical of the federal government, saying there had been no communication from Canadian authorities and no buses to the border.
“There’s no clarity on what to do, even now here on your own,” she said. “The fact that they don’t have an urgent, active plan makes no sense. Their whole messaging is, ‘You get to another country, and then we’ll see if we can organize a flight for you.’”
Jeremy Murray is in Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv, visiting family and doing work for a charity organization supporting people with PTSD and addictions issues.
The Toronto man sought safety in a bomb shelter Thursday. He characterized Ottawa’s response as “‘Hey, guys, just skip on over to Egypt or Jordan.’ But that’s kind of unrealistic, especially for somebody who’s Jewish, in Israel. I’m sorry, but that is a reality.”
Ms. Anand said on X that the Canadian government has boosted consular services across the region.
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Timothy Payne, from Toronto, who is in Israel playing hockey for the Jerusalem Capitals, said he believes other countries are doing more to assist their citizens. He said he feels “pressure” from his family in Canada to go to the border with Jordan but thinks it may be safer staying put.
He said the attacks come in waves: On the worst nights, he’s been in and out of the bomb shelter five or six times. He and his brother and Canadian teammates are weighing all their options, including taking a boat to Cyprus or a car to Jordan.
“We hear bombings – we’re in the shelter – but we feel the earth shaking. We’re like, ‘Okay, tomorrow we’re going to make an exit plan to get out of here,’ and then there’s nothing we can do.”
“They said, if we can get to Jordan, they’ll get us to safety. But it’s not easy to get to Jordan.”
David Cooper, vice-president of government relations at the Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs, said Ottawa must do more to help.
“While Minister Anand’s announcement is a positive first step, it falls short for many Canadians currently in Israel – particularly minors visiting family without their parents," he said in a statement.
“It is simply not realistic or safe to expect young people to navigate international travel alone, including crossing borders on foot and arranging transport to Amman. What’s urgently needed is an organized, secure pathway for Canadians – especially vulnerable individuals – to get from Israel to Jordan safely.”