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Edmonton’s police chief is facing criticism for travelling to Israel in February to meet with state policing officials as part of a counterterrorism delegation.
Warren Driechel, chief of the Edmonton Police Service, joined other North American police executives as part of a delegation organized by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, a professional organization of police executives in Canada and the United States.
Driechel’s visit has prompted backlash from Islamic mosques and Muslim-Canadian community groups in Edmonton, who spoke out about Israel’s continued attacks on the Gaza Strip and alleged human rights violations.
“The decision by the chief of police to travel to Israel to meet with policing institutions demonstrates a serious failure of judgment toward the communities he is sworn to serve and protect,” community leaders said in an open letter to the Edmonton Police Commission.
“It has also significantly undermined trust in the leadership of the Edmonton Police Service.”
The letter, which was shared with CBC by the National Council of Canadian Muslims, was signed by more than 20 organizations including Islamic mosques, schools and community associations.
The groups want the commission to clarify how the trip was approved and whether Israeli police practices are being applied in the policing of Edmontonians.
Driechel declined an interview request from CBC News.
Ben Henderson, chair of the Edmonton police commission, said Thursday in a statement that he approved Driechel’s travel to Israel “in accordance with the terms of his contract.”
He also said the commission has discussed Driechel’s trip and has agreed to review its travel request policies to determine if any changes should be made.
No other decisions regarding Driechel’s travel have been made, said Henderson.
“The commission continues to have confidence in chief Driechel and his leadership of the Edmonton Police Service.”
‘Opportunity to gain insights’
In a statement to CBC News on Wednesday, Edmonton police said Driechel was selected to join the delegation of senior law enforcement officials from the U.S. and Canada.
The statement described the trip as an opportunity for Driechel to learn from Israeli police and local law enforcement officials.
“The police chiefs attending the trip had the opportunity to gain insights into local policing in a highly complex environment, including critical incident response, threat preparedness and community engagement,” the statement said.
“The purpose of the trip was educational.”
The statement said there were no contracts, equipment or training procured during the trip, which was approved by the Edmonton police commission chair and paid for by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
This is not the first controversy surrounding North American police participating in Israeli police training. Milwaukee’s police chief faced public criticism in January, while the Los Angeles Police Department faced questions earlier this month about sending officers to Israel for tactical training trips.
‘Massive violations’
The National Council of Canadian Muslims, in a Thursday statement, called the visit “deeply painful and alarming” to Edmonton’s diverse communities, especially those who have loved ones in the region.
“This is a time when the government and military of Israel are accused of war crimes and genocide,” council officials said, citing international arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defence minister.
Israel has rejected allegations it is committing genocide in Gaza in the war with Hamas, and it is challenging an accusation filed at the International Court of Justice.
The Israel police are responsible for civil policing, border security and counterterrorism. In 2021, a report from Amnesty International alleged police were involved in discriminatory or violent treatment of Palestinian citizens.
Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, after an attack by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people, according to Palestinian Health Ministry data from February.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran, which has since expanded to Lebanon. Officials say the war has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, almost 700 in Lebanon and at least 13 in Israel.
