Nadav Zysblat has just begun his posting as Israel’s new Consul General in Toronto and Western Canada at a particularly difficult moment in Canada-Israel relations.
Within days of his arrival, Canada announced it would “take steps to ban the importation of goods from (Israeli) settlements,” while a boycott campaign targeted pro-Israel singer Boy George’s Vancouver concert. Zysblat, a career Israeli diplomat, says his job is to strengthen—not retreat from—the relationship.
Pushing back against calls for boycotts, he wants to expand trade and business ties at the provincial level, restore direct flights between Canada and Israel, and support local Holocaust education initiatives.
Zysblat has served previously in Washington and Shanghai. Two days before the federal government’s West Bank announcement, Zysblat sat down with The CJN’s North Star podcast host Ellin Bessner to record his first Canadian interview. He told Bessner he wants to find new areas of cooperation with Ontario, the Prairies and B.C., particularly in sectors including natural resources, health care, AI, quantum computing and secure technology.
They talked about how boycotts are not helpful to building relationships, how they hurt Canada’s interests rather than solve the problem in the Middle East, and why he feels Israel could actually be an answer to Canada’s current push to diversify its economy, amidst the economic trade war with the U.S.
Related links
- Learn more about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent announcement on Sept 8 that Canada will cut off imports of products made in settlements, and go after companies and entities who finance the settlement movement, in The CJN,
- Discover the background to a protracted Canadian case brought by anti-Israel activists in 2017 over labelling of two wines produced in the West Bank, and the last development in 2022, in The CJN.
- Read the Israeli Embassy’s statement Sept. 8 condemning Canada’s pledge to join the U.K. and France in banning imports of products produced in West Bank settlements.
Nadav Zysblat
I believe that there are many people in Canada at the moment, at this time, that think that it’s time to diversify Canadian economy. And I think that Israel could be an answer.
Ellin Bessner
Well, here’s something that often happens in the news business. You schedule an interview with a newsmaker, you record it, you said goodbye, and then breaking news happens that changes the angle you’d planned.
Well, that’s what happened when Israel’s new Consul General to Toronto and Western Canada Nadav Zysblt, sat down with me on the Labour Day weekend for his first Canadian media interview just days after he landed in Toronto and started getting his feet wet.
The morning of our interview, the Israeli government had issued an annual security warning to Israelis traveling or living abroad ahead of the high holidays, urging them to keep a low profile and be aware of possible terrorist attacks masterminded by Iran and other enemies. During our in-depth interview, we talked about growing concerns over the safety of Jewish Canadians, about the boycotts of Jewish and Israeli businesses, and calls from activists here to cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, also about Canada’s growing diplomatic pressure on Israel over its handling of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Then after we said goodbye, the news changed the framing of the story.
On September 8th, Canada announced that it would join France, the U.K. and other countries to bring forward measures to ban trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Now to be clear, our interview was recorded before the announcement. So Zysblat was not responding to Ottawa’s decision. But his comments are now particularly relevant because he was making the case for more trade and economic ties between Canada and Israel at precisely the moment that relationship is facing new pressure.
Nadav Zysblat
But I do think that the vast majority of Canadians don’t believe in boycotting. I think the calls to boycott Israel are damaging. Some people are obviously doing it in order to hurt Israel, but I think they’re inflicting self-inflicted wounds on their own economy.
Ellin Bessner
I’m Ellin Bessner, and this is what Jewish Canada sounds like for Monday, September 14th, 2026. Welcome to North Star, the flagship podcast of The Canadian Jewish News, made possible by the Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky Gluskin Charitable Foundation.
If you’re watching this on YouTube, please consider subscribing to our channel and also to the audio version of North Star, wherever you get your podcasts.
After Ottawa’s latest West Bank announcement, Israel’s embassy to Ottawa accused the Carney government of “blatant interference in the coming Israeli election”. And the embassy called the trade sanctions “moralizing from afar, and says they’ll lead to more antisemitism against Jews in Canada.
Global Affairs Canada didn’t provide us with a timeline for when the ban will start or what specific products it will cover. But Reuters is reporting that goods originating from West Bank settlements are mainly agricultural, including fresh produce and wine. The BBC says dates are among the agricultural products commonly exported from settlements. Most provincial liquor boards here have stopped carrying settlement wines years ago because of court action by anti-Israel activists. It’s unclear whether Canada will now have to use special economic sanction measures to override the existing Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
And all this makes Nadav Zysblat’s debut even more challenging as Israel’s newest envoy to our country. Here’s our conversation.
Welcome to the Canadian Jewish News North Star podcast and to Canada.
Nadav Zysblat
Thank you, Ellin. Shanah Tovah and it’s really great to be here.
Ellin Bessner
It’s great to meet you too.
Already there are some big political Israel-related Canadian stories. Are you at all involved or going to be involved with the Boy George boycott at the concert in Vancouver in the Pacific National Exhibition, because of his pro-Israel stance?
Nadav Zysblat
Two things. First of all, I’ll start by saying that I’m privileged to be Consul General to Toronto and Western Canada.
Vancouver, British Columbia is very much something that the consulate would be involved in and happy to be involved in. And it’s very distressing to hear boycotts happening, whether it be B.C. or anywhere. We firmly believe that boycotts have no room. I think that Boy George, but any artist who speaks in a really courageous way and tells the truth as it is, is due respect and definitely not to boycotts. And I’m sure the vast majority of Canadians disapprove of any type of boycotts.
Ellin Bessner
I don’t know if I would agree with you, but what does Israel want you to do while you’re here?
Nadav Zysblat
I think what Israel wants me to do, what Israelis want me to do, is really find ways to strengthen the connection between Israel and Canada, between Israelis and Canadians, between Israeli businesses and Canadian businesses. And you know, a week into Canada, I think there’s so much potential. I think it’s a bit presumptuous at this stage to say exactly in which sector and exactly with who. And more importantly, I think for Canadians to know Israelis better and for Israelis to know Canadians better.
Ellin Bessner
I know that you’re not Canadian ambassador, but you come to Canada at one of probably the worst times in history for relations between our country and Israel in terms of ties are very, very strained on the political level, federally now. What as a consul general that deals with provincial, do you hope that you might be able to do that right now is not possible on the federal level?
Nadav Zysblat
Well, I really think finding new areas for cooporation and strengthening some areas that really are cooperation. And you mentioned Ontario, but I would love to cooperate with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. It’s important to remember that Ontario isn’t just the GTA, of course. I really think that we have to find areas for cooporation. I’ve only been here a week, but I’m already very excited to hear of many, many possibilities and many, many opportunities. And this is a moment in which we could only climb higher. And I am determined to do everything that’s in my power to connect people and really help us climb higher.
Ellin Bessner
So the consulate’s mandate has been cybersecurity, healthcare, water, agriculture, advanced manufacturing. What are some of the things that personally you would like to get done?
Nadav Zysblat
Well, those are some of the fields I’d want to concentrate about, but part of what’s interesting about Israeli innovation is that Israel reinvent itself and Israeli businesses continue to reinvent themselves.
And if I look at mining and natural resources, which is something that Israel wasn’t necessarily blessed with, but Canada absolutely was, they might be interesting areas for cooperation there. I really think if we talk about digital health care, for instance, if we talk about really any type of technology, whether it be AI, quantum computing, there is so much happening in the world at the moment. There’s so much happening in Israel, and I’m so happy to discover there’s so much happening in Canada. We really have to just build those bridges and see how this connection grows stronger.
Ellin Bessner
Well, your predecessor always had a Hanukkah event where I was privileged to be invited a couple of times at the consulate and she invited the premier, Doug Ford, and some of his officials. And I heard Doug Ford say, ‘We’re going to have a trade mission to Israel”.
This was a while ago. It didn’t happen as far as I understand. Is that something that is on your agenda to get done?
Nadav Zysblat
I think missions both to Israel and to Canada are absolutely important in the end of the day. What you see firsthand is irreplaceable. So absolutely, I do anticipate us trying to promote many missions from Canada to Israel. But it’s important to say we haven’t seen that many missions from Israel going to Canada also. And it’s vital for Israelis to learn and understand just how much potential there is in Canada.
Ellin Bessner
There haven’t been that many because there haven’t been a lot of flights. That’s a whole other story. We should talk about that because it’s been a huge point ..of El Al does not fly anymore to Toronto. What do you know? Are you interested in evaluating it or is that a done deal? It’s finished now?
Nadav Zysblat
Ellin Bessner it’s on the top of my list.
Direct flights are one of the most important things to bring people to people together, people to people connections. to bring businesses together. And there’s so many Canadians, especially from the Jewish community, I believe, that would love to visit Israel.
And it’s up to us and it’s really up to the Israeli consulate to make sure that we could do as much as we can to make that task easier. So you will be hearing me talking, dealing, and hopefully bringing some meaningful results with regards to news about direct flights back again from Toronto to Israel.
Ellin Bessner
With El Al?
Nadav Zysblat
I think direct flights is what’s important, and I think it’s important to see where we could get it through. Ideally, I’d love to see as many companies as possible traveling between Israewl and Canada.
Ellin Bessner
That’s interesting because I didn’t hear El Al, so I wanted to make sure. So now maybe it’s not going to be El Al, but it’ll be a maybe Air Canada will start again?
Nadav Zysblat
There’s other companies. Israel has also more Israeli companies flying, including to North America. So I would keep an open mind and let’s see if we have any news to share as the year progresses.
And if we’re talking about tourism, for instance, I’m happy to announce that for the first time in three years, we have a tourism attaché, an official tourism attaché from Israel, from the Ministry of Tourism. And one of the most amazing things about him is he is from the Druze minority in Israel, because Israel is diverse.
Ellin Bessner
That’s a good scoop.
I want to bring up a news event that happened just hours before we started our conversation. Every year around this time in the last couple of years, the National Security Council of Israel issues a warning to Israelis living outside or working outside of Israel. “Be careful, don’t wear your jewelry, don’t speak Hebrew,” because last year 25 Israelis and Jews were murdered outside of Israel. What does this mean specifically here for Israelis living in Canada?
Nadav Zysblat
It’s not the first time, sadly, and it’s worldwide notice. It has just been issued a few hours ago. We track and monitor the situation very closely and are in coordination around the world with various authorities.
I think in every place in the world, it’s important for any government to make sure that any citizen and any tourist is safe at that place. And that applies also to Canada, of course. We’ve seen so many incidents across the world, including Canada, and it is definitely something that’s concerning.
Ellin Bessner
Are you aware of any specific threats, including your own diplomatic status here?
Nadav Zysblat
Well, you know, I won’t go into specifics. I think that on the whole, Israeli diplomats across the world have heightened security. And I think we’ve heard things coming out of Tehran and we’ve seen various threats. but it’s not about myself or family. At the end of the day, it is important that any Jewish person around the world gets the utmost security and deserves the security, just like every citizen in this world.
Ellin Bessner
I also ask, because you’re visibly Jewish with a kippah. Would you ever advise a Jewish Canadian to hide their Jewish identity for safety because of what they said in this National Security warning?
Nadav Zysblat
I would say that I’m proud to be Jewish, and I’ve seen so many people here who are proud in their Judaism, and rightfully so. We have so much to be [proud] about and I will say that it comes upon every authority to make sure that every person: Muslim, Christian, Jewish is allowed to display their faith and their pride in their faith out in the public sphere.
Ellin Bessner
Now you talked about meeting local leaders, so you’ve been doing a lot of that, I’ve seen on social media. What have you heard from people in the Jewish community and what have they told you?
Nadav Zysblat
I think people are worried and very worried about the situation within how the Jewish community feels in Canada. A lot of elements in the Jewish community, a lot of people in the Jewish community have seen what has happened since October 7th and do not feel safe.
And it’s important to say every Canadian should feel safe in Canada. And that, of course, applies to the magnificent Jewish community that has been in Canada for many, many years.
So that’s, of course, one thing that I hear. But I’d also like to say that I hear about a lot of people, and I’ve heard till now about a lot of people talking about the potential, whether it be business, whether it be provincial relationship with Israel, whether it be people to people relationship. There’s so many people who are looking at this moment as a moment of great challenges, but also great opportunities.
Ellin Bessner
What did your predecessor tell you or brief you about the situation that you’re walking into here now when it comes to the Jewish community’s feelings of safety? Because as you may or may not know, there’s this whole idea of Plan B, making Aliyah, going to Panama, going to Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma. People may not be doing it, but they’re talking about it.
Nadav Zysblat
I think what my predecessor said is very similar to what I heard from many voices in the community. They are challenges. I’m not shying away from the challenges, not hiding away from the challenges. And I hope nobody in the Canadian government’s shying away from the challenges or hiding away from the challenges that occur at this moment since October 7th for many people in the Jewish community and for the way, and most importantly, their safety and feeling of safety.
There are real opportunities, and we have to be vigilant about it. We have to be innovative about it. We have to be open-minded about it. And we have to make sure that there’s many connections as possible. I would really like to seize the opportunities that are here in front of us. The Israel-Canada relationship, if you look at our trade volume, for instance, if I’m not mistaken, Canada’s trade with Israel is more or less equivalent to Canada’s trade with Ecuador, which is a great and wonderful country. There is much more that could be done.
Israel is a thriving, thriving economy. an innovative economy. And looking at CTV News, reading the news, I believe that there are many people in Canada at the moment at this time that think that it’s time to diversify Canadian economy. And I think that Israel could be an answer to many questions and many concerns raised. And it’s upon us as diplomats to make sure that we identify these opportunities and hopefully make the meaningful connections in order to solve them.
Ellin Bessner
There’s people who go and attack and boycott Jewish businesses, and companies who do business with Israel are targeted both online and physically. And I’m sure you’ve been told about this.
The Canadian government has been asked to revisit the Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement and maybe stop it.
What do you think the biggest challenge is going to be to make those connections at this moment?
Nadav Zysblat
I think that the biggest challenge is going to be, obviously, as you’ve said, a lot of it is with regards to various [statements] sayings, but I do think that the vast majority of Canadians don’t believe in boycotting.
I think the calls to boycott Israel are damaging. Some people are obviously doing it in order to hurt Israel, but I think they’re inflicting self-inflicted wounds on their own economy. I don’t believe that for many people to boycott anybody, and again, I said. not just Israel, I think boycotting is not the solution and not the answer.
With regards to the challenges that you were talking about, I think that a lot of it is also in convincing Israeli businesses. A lot of Israeli businesses are very much geared to the American market, for instance, and the European market. I think that a lot of Israelis don’t know yet of the opportunities here in Canada. A lot of it is also, it’s not just bringing Canadian delegations to Israel, but bringing Israeli delegations to Canada so they could see firsthand opportunities over here.
Ellin Bessner
Maybe with the Canadian government recognition of the State of Palestine, and sanctioning many Israeli leaders, and saying the if the current prime minister sets foot here, he’ll be arrested, makes things a little bit challenging for Israeli companies. Why would they want to come here? if things are going to be tough?
I’m pushing back a bit on the little optimism, which is good. It’s good that you have optimism, but we hear it differently on this side. So how do you put those two together? How do you navigate this?
Nadav Zysblat
Yeah, the challenges, of course.
I think a lot of Canadians should ask themselves if some steps taken further bringing peace into the Middle East or actually do not help and do not do anything in effect, and perhaps even strengthen elements that the last thing that they want is peace.
I think that in order to be effective players all across the world, everybody has to make sure you have the best relationship and making [a] relationship does include criticism, but it does not include boycotting, and it does not include cutting off any type of cooperation.
I think that some voices that say various things that you just mentioned don’t have Canada’s best interests at heart, to be honest. Again, as a guest here, I don’t believe that they think that it’s Canada’s best interest in heart. And I truly believe that a lot of the steps that could be taken could be more productive.
And I think part of the task is to make sure where we could find productive steps in order to increase the relationship and bring it forward. I think that there are many types of solutions. I think that Israel-Canada relationship is important for Israel. I think it’s important for Canada. And I think it could be more important for Israel. I believe it could be more important for Canada. And in order to progress any relationship, there’s a need for open dialogue. And there’s a need to really listen to each other, not talk past each other, and not create unilateral steps that don’t necessarily bring dialogue, but to be honest, just [push it] further [apart] many times.
Ellin Bessner
Canada’s recognition of the Palestinian state, how is that seen right now by the Government of Israel and the Israeli people, that you’re aware of?
Nadav Zysblat
I think there are many people including, within Canada, the question is, of course, we were very, very clear about our condemnation about this, and we really think this was not the appropriate step, not the step to be making. I think the Government of Israel, our spokespersons, the embassy, the consulate ,have been very clear about it in the past year of regards to what we believe is right and what we believe is wrong. And we believe this was the wrong step, 100% the wrong step. And we’ve made it very clear and we’ll continue to make it clear. I think there might be more and more Canadians that also feel this might have been the wrong step.
Ellin Bessner
Why?
Nadav Zysblat
If we look a year later, I would like to ask ‘Where we are and how has that step progressed anything and has it progressed or helped at all?’
Ellin Bessner
Let’s turn from Gaza to the West Bank. I’m just thinking of last week, the Canadian government said if anybody builds anything or helps with E1 development on the West Bank, you know, you’re going to be in big trouble with the Canadian government. It’s a challenging time for you to start this role as far as what’s going on in the West Bank.
How do you mitigate when people are criticizing Israel for that? And then you have the message of “This doesn’t help because” it’s really a difficult [situation] what’s going on in the West Bank. Even [U.S. Ambassador] Huckabee went down to see it.
Nadav Zysblat
You know, I think Israel’s being very clear with regards to vigilantes, as we say, people taking the law into their own hands, and it doesn’t matter where they’re from or who they are. Israel is a law-abiding country, and we’re very, very strict about that. And actions have been taken and will be taken for anybody who breaks the law.
It might sound sometimes an Israeli official saying Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, but we truly, we very much believe in it, and we very much believe in the strengths of our democratic institutions and of our legal institutions.
Ellin Bessner
I want to just go back a little bit to your career and your background. In your younger years, you studied at Yad Vashem’s Holocaust Institute, and I heard you were a tour guide there once?
Nadav Zysblat
I was, as a student, that was very much my student job. I went to law school and I was privileged to work in Yad Vashem, where, by the way, I learned about so many Holocaust survivors that immigrated to Canada afterwards and built so many things and so many amazing communities and businesses here in Canada. And I know a lot of them have been very much involved also in Yad Vashem, but also in Holocaust studies. And Holocaust studies with regards to combating antisemitism, it’s something that’s important to have.
Ellin Bessner
Is there a Holocaust background in your own family? You said Zysblat or Zeisplat, but it’s an English name. Is there anything you want to share about that?
Nadav Zysblat
Thanks for asking. In the past four generations, our surname changed, and it’s very much a Jewish story. My great-grandparents were born in a shtetl in Poland and decided to move to Germany, where they became Susplat, which is sweet leaf, if I’m correct, in German, or at least that’s what I was told by my Nana.
And my grandparents grew up in Germany and my grandmother actually was on the last Kindertransport that arrived in September 1939 to London. And she built her life there. My grandfather and grandmother built their life in the UK, which was very kind to them. And my father, as an avid Zionist and a Zionist activist, decided that his place is in Israel. And he made Aliyah in the early ‘70s. I was born in Israel. It’s really how the surname changes. It’s a bit of a story of Jewish geography. And it’s interesting to see and hear from so many Jewish people here in Toronto their personal stories. And there are so many things that echo and mirror that.
Ellin Bessner
Well, there are elections in a couple of weeks in Israel. And I was wondering, could your appointment be temporary with the new government? Non Likud, you might not be here that long.
Nadav Zysblat
No, I’m not a political appointee, but a professional diplomat. And professional diplomats will be here. So I think you’ll have to see me in a few hockey games and weathering through a few Toronto winters.
And I think you’ll discover it’s very similar to Israelis. We’ve been through three years of war, as you said, but Israeli economy is growing. It’s growing faster and faster and stronger and stronger. Israelis are very resilient. And Israelis are looking for opportunities, and I full-heartedly believe that Canada could be such an opportunity if we could learn to work together.
Ellin Bessner
It’s been really a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you, and we wish you and your family all the best and good luck.
BeHatzlacha and Shanah Tovah.
Nadav Zysblat
Shanah Tovah to you and to all The Canadian Jewish News and to the whole Canadian Jewish community.
Ellin Bessner
And that’s what Jewish Canada sounded like for this episode of North Star, brought to you by the Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky Gluskin Charitable Foundation.
Canada’s West Bank trade announcement was on the same day the new session of the UN General Assembly started. Canada plans to co-chair a meeting in New York with other countries to work on the ban details.
North Star is produced by Zachary Judah Kauffman and Izzie Helenchilde.
Michael Fraiman is our executive producer and Alicia Richler is our editorial director.
Thanks for listening.
Credits
- Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner )
- Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Izzie Helenchilde (producer and video editor),l Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director)
- Music: Bret Higgins
Support our show
