This article of mine appeared in the Jerusalem Post on 8 November 2020
CANZUK is an acronym
formed from the initial letters of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the
United Kingdom – and it emerged following a bout of vigorous activity by a body
founded in Canada in 2014 called the Commonwealth Freedom of Movement
Organization (CFMO). It was set up to expand the historical
connections between the citizens of those four countries by creating a sort of
travel-free alliance between them, thus encouraging their governments to
strengthen and expand economic, political, trade, investment, military and
diplomatic relationships.
The imminent departure
of the UK from the European Union spawned an off-shoot in the shape of CANZUK. Eminent British historian, Professor Andrew
Roberts believes that the CANZUK countries should form "a new
federation based upon free trade, free movement of peoples, mutual defence, and
a limited but effective confederal political structure.” He points out that were CANZUK to become a
union, “it would immediately become one of the global great powers alongside
America, the EU and China. It would be easily the largest country on the
planet, have a combined population of 129 million, the third biggest economy
and the third biggest defense budget.”
In favour of the
argument, he points out that the CANZUK countries already have a common head of
state in the British monarch, a majority language, legal systems based on Magna
Cara and the common law, Westminster parliamentary tradition, and a long history
of working together. All they lack is geographical proximity, which is becoming
less and less important in the modern world.
Momentum towards
creating such an entity is mounting. CANZUK launched a petition on its website
urging the UK government to establish free movement and trade agreements with
Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The
rules governing petitions to the British parliament are detailed, but any that
reach 100,000 signatures are almost always debated. The CANZUK petition has so
far attracted more than 310,000
signatures.
Suppose such a third
major political force were indeed to emerge on the world stage, what might its
attitude be towards Israel? Judging by
Israel’s current relationship with the countries involved, the connection would
be considerably warmer than the wary and arms-length association that has
developed between Israel and the EU. It
would be boosted by the thriving Jewish communities in all four CANZUK nations
In the meantime the CANZUK dream is taking shape. While the UK is readying itself to leave the EU on December 31, it is negotiating a comprehensive deal with Australia to include tariff reductions and labour mobility. UK minister Liz Truss said: “Both countries are committed to removing trade barriers and creating new opportunities for business, and believe a deep and dynamic agreement can send a clear signal to the world that both the UK and Australia are prepared to fight protectionism and advance free and fair trade.”
Meanwhile the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announced on October 29 that the Canadian government is likely to conclude a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK in the coming weeks. The aim is to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers between the countries. Trudeau said that work was already under way to ensure that an agreement is in place before the end of the year.
Israel’s relations with
the UK were particularly close during David Cameron’s premiership, and have
remained so. A post-Brexit trade deal between
Israel and the UK is signed and sealed and ready to be implemented. Government
trade ministers recently announced a bid for a new “higher ambition” UK-Israel
trade agreement after Brexit, calling the two countries “tech superpowers”. Israel-UK bilateral trade has increased year
by year for the past decade, and international trade minister, Ranil
Jayawardena, said annual bilateral trade between the UK and Israel in 2019
exceeded £5 billion, but could be more.
The four CANZUK
countries could be a new, strong entity on the world scene, very favourably
disposed towards Israel. Professor Roberts goes so far as to believe that its
emergence could bring about the fulfilment of Winston Churchill’s great dream
of a Western alliance based on three separate blocs. “The first and second
blocs – the USA and a United State of Europe – are already in place,” says
Roberts. “Now it is time for the last – CANZUK – to retake her place as the
third pillar of western civilization.”
Israel is exceptionally well-placed to tap into any formal CANZUK union or federation that may eventually emerge.
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