Two Toronto city councillors — James Pasternak and Mike Colle — travelled to Israel this week to attend a private briefing with Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel. The meeting came to light after Haskel posted a photo on X showing the councillors alongside a delegation of Canadian politicians and media figures.
The delegation included former Toronto MPs Kevin Vuong and Don Stewart, former Ontario MPP David Zimmer, former Green Party leader Annamie Paul, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre, and broadcasters Steve Paikin and Ben Mulroney. Pasternak and Colle were the only currently serving elected officials in the group.
TorontoToday contacted both councillors’ offices seeking details about the purpose of the trip and who funded it, but neither responded before publication. Haskel described the group as part of a “political leadership mission,” while Global Affairs Canada stated it had no involvement in organizing the visit.
During the briefing, Haskel raised concerns about rising antisemitism in Canada and criticized the Canadian government’s recent recognition of the State of Palestine. “This is a moment of truth for the West,” she said, arguing that recognizing a Palestinian state “strengthens the terrorists.” Her comments come despite all living hostages being returned to Israel under the current ceasefire, according to the Associated Press.
Under Toronto’s rules, councillors must publicly declare gifts or sponsored travel valued at more than $300 within 30 days. No councillor has reported receiving sponsored travel from Israel in the last 14 years — the full extent of online disclosure records.
Travel by Toronto officials to Israel has precedent. In 2016, then-mayor John Tory led a widely publicized tech-focused trade mission to Israel that included Pasternak and Colle’s son Josh; the eight-day trip cost the city $86,000 and was partly sponsored by Air Canada and the Carpenters’ Union.
Pasternak has been one of City Hall’s most outspoken supporters of Israel since the October 7 Hamas attack and recently pushed for “bubble zones” around schools, childcare centres, and places of worship to limit protests. Colle, who also serves as a deputy mayor, supported the bylaw and voted in favour of expanding the zones, though the motion failed.
The timing of the councillors’ visit comes amid heightened tensions between Canada and Israel. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he entered Canada due to an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes — a position Israel strongly condemned. Canada’s recognition of the State of Palestine in September also drew sharp criticism from Israeli officials and spurred political debate at home, including the first-ever raising of the Palestinian flag outside Toronto City Hall.
Neither Colle nor Pasternak has shared details about their trip on social media. A photo posted by Kevin Vuong shows Pasternak at a memorial for victims of October 7 alongside Vuong and Mulroney, providing a small glimpse into the councillors’ otherwise undisclosed travels.