Several media outlets reported that signs of a hidden crisis are growing between Israel and Canada following the latter's decision to reduce the enhanced security protection for the Israeli embassy in the capital Ottawa since 2019. Despite the Israeli embassy's attempts to dissuade the Canadians from the decision, claiming it is an "unusual situation," the Canadians refuse to provide personal security for Ambassador Ronan Hoffman for almost a year. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police do not respond to the embassy's request, nor do the Canadians respond to senior Israeli officials for meetings to resolve the matter, despite ongoing death threats against Israeli workers in the Canadian capital, as claimed.

Itamar Eichner, the political correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, revealed that "there is an unusual diplomatic tension between Israel and its close friend Canada due to its "puzzling" decision to reduce the security level of the Israeli embassy in the capital Ottawa, despite the threats against it. Israeli officials at the embassy stated that there is a risk of hostile attacks, but the Canadian Foreign Ministry and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police refuse to increase security at the embassy, despite repeated requests from Israel over the past three years." 

He added in a report in Hebrew that "unusually, it was the Israeli embassy in Canada that initiated publishing the story and informed the Canadian media. It became clear that the Canadians decided to lower the security classification of the head of the Israeli mission shortly after the retirement of the former ambassador, Nimrod Barkan, in November 2019. According to officials at the Israeli embassy, the special force responsible for VIP protection, including 24-hour personal security, ceased its work. This was implemented with the former Israeli ambassador 24 hours a day for nine years, but immediately after his departure, they decided to cancel these security measures."
 

The current Israeli ambassador in Canada, Ronen Hoffman, began his term in December 2021. At that time, the Israeli embassy contacted the Canadian authorities and requested the reinstatement of security for the incoming ambassador, but the Canadians officially rejected the request. Senior officials at the embassy in Ottawa said they tried to request a meeting with the protocol office at the Canadian Foreign Ministry and the secret police to resolve the matter, but they were met with refusal.

The Canadian Foreign Ministry declined to comment, noting that it would not be appropriate to disclose specific details of discussions with any embassy. Security operations by the police are subject to continuous and permanent review and are adjusted based on threat and risk environments. The Israeli embassy in Canada is located in an office tower, three buildings south of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Activists opposing the Israeli policy towards Palestinians have previously posted on social media maps showing the embassy's location, pictures of its passageway, and the embassy has received threats on its voicemail box. In one message, an unknown voice said, "We will kill you wherever you are." Senior officials at the embassy claimed there is an increase in anti-Semitic incidents, documented by the Jewish Advocacy Organization B'nai Brith in Canada, which reported a significant jump in anti-Jewish incidents, from 9 incidents in 2020 to 75 in 2021. 

Israeli circles in Canada allege that among other things, incidents against the Israeli occupation and its supporters in Canada include assaults and vandalism at Jewish synagogues, swastikas painted in schools. Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the security arrangements of its missions abroad.

This is not the first time Israeli-Canadian relations have been strained, especially since Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, formed his government in 2015. Despite the Conservative Party and its leader Stephen Harper, the former prime minister, being keen to establish very deep relations with Tel Aviv to the point of "ideological twinning" and sharing one vision economically and a unified political line on confronting what they consider Islamic violence.

However, Trudeau's arrival, despite affirming friendship with Israel, prompted concerns in Israeli circles about clear intentions to change Canadian policies towards it, especially with Canadian reactions regarding the EU decision to label settlement products. Israel fears that Ottawa will resume financial aid to UNRWA, and Canada has announced it does not recognize the occupation's sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights.