Marc Zell, Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel and Vice President & General Counsel of Republicans Overseas Inc., an Israeli-American attorney specializing in international law, issued a sharp response to the investigation being conducted by Canada's federal police (RCMP) against Israeli soldiers with dual citizenship suspected of war crimes.
The investigation, recently revealed in the Toronto Star, began secretly in early 2024 and targets Canadian citizens who served in the IDF during the Gaza war. "Seven Canadians, including peace activist Vivian Silver, were brutally murdered by Hamas on October 7th. Despite more than a year passing, federal police have yet to publicly announce an investigation into these cases under Canada's 2000 Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act," Zell said as he condemned the "Canadian bias."
Zell, who is admitted to bar in multiple U.S. states, federal courts, and Israel, emphasized that the investigation constitutes an attempt to criminalize legitimate self-defense actions against a terrorist organization: "Unlike the Ukraine war crimes investigation that included extensive publicity, a hotline, dedicated website, and public campaigns to collect evidence - the Israel-related investigation is conducted in complete secrecy. This is an unprecedented anti-Semitic smear campaign that advances the extremist anti-Israel agenda of the current Liberal government," Zell states. "The investigation focuses solely on Canadian-Israeli dual nationals serving in the IDF, while completely ignoring Hamas's barbaric acts."
Zell points to another dangerous phenomenon: "An organization called 'The Maple' has doxxed dozens of Jewish Canadians who served in the IDF - including home addresses and synagogue affiliations - in a move designed to fuel anti-Semitism raging across North America. This move aligns with efforts by the International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, and the United Nations to criminalize Israel and perpetuate gross injustice, against the backdrop of joint sanctions threats by Canada, Britain, and France against Israel." Zell concludes that "this shameful campaign sacrifices justice for a vicious anti-Israel witch hunt, fanning the flames of hate and perpetuating gross injustice. This serves as a stark reminder that even among traditional allies, the anti-Israel agenda penetrates the highest levels of government."