Edmonton police chief continues to ‘stand by’ Israel trip
Posted March 17, 2026 1:49 pm.
Edmonton’s police chief is standing by his decision to travel to Israel last month to visit police stations and meet with the leaders of that country’s police force – despite continued criticism from Edmonton Muslim groups.
Echoing comments he made when speaking exclusively to CityNews last week, Chief Warren Driechel defended his mid-February trip to the Middle East in an official statement Tuesday.
“As police we focus on behavior, not beliefs,” Driechel wrote. “Where I have felt challenged this week is in the implication that any community group should have the right to direct where we can learn.
“I stand by my decision to take the trip to Israel and continue to view it as valuable, among multiple learning experiences I will have in this role. I remain focused on my longstanding and ongoing commitment to dialogue, learning and connection across communities and across boundaries.”
Chief Driechel visited police agencies during his trip, which was funded by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), an independent group of police executives from cities across the U.S. and Canada.
The trip was approved by the Edmonton Police Commission, no public tax dollars were used, and there were no meetings with members of the government, military or intelligence, Driechel told CityNews last week.
“There are populations that are represented by the populations of Israel, whether they’re Jewish or Muslim,” Driechel said in that same March 10 interview. “And I think it’s important as police leaders, when we go to these countries, we understand what’s occurring there and how it’s informing what’s going on in our own cities, in our own country.
“My big takeaway was that what they’re learning, and what they’re working on. How do they build that connection to all of their community, including the Muslim people that live within Israel. So for me, the takeaway is community connection. Maintaining and building trust within your community is important, and that’s something they’re working on very hard there right now.”
That sentiment was reiterated in Tuesday’s statement.
“I spent time with police officers from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze faiths representing a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds,” Chief Driechel wrote. “I also met with Muslim community leaders who shared openly about their concerns and their reasons for working with police. These officers and community leaders operate in an environment that demands extraordinary vigilance – managing crime, counter terrorism, supporting community and crisis response all amid extreme complexity.
“Police to police we were able to talk about the toll this work takes on the people who do it. We talked about building trust in communities where there is little trust. We were able to get a glimpse of the undertaking required to police in complex environments.
“I am grateful for what I was able to learn and share with those we visited and among my North American peers. These missions offer a great deal of insight and valuable perspective.”
More than two dozen groups representing Muslims in Edmonton signed an open letter about their disappointment in Driechel’s trip to Israel, demanding answers to their questions or his resignation.
The 26 mosques and Muslim organizations say the trip caused “deep pain” for those affected by the conflict in the Middle East, and argue it demonstrated “a serious failure of judgment toward the communities he is sworn to serve and protect.”
–With files from Lauren Boothby
