I don't know which metrics you're using to determine size, Ed, but as I see it, Canada's contribution to military operations in the Middle East has never been large, and is now downright teeny-tiny.

Here's a run-down of the "traditional peacekeeping" missions, by which I mean mandates limited to observation, monitoring and supervision of compliance with cease-fire agreements.

* In UNEF I and II (1956-1978), the Canadian contingent consisted mostly of logisticians, communicators, technicians and engineers, plus a few combat arms types for leadership, staff support, force protection and labour. UNEF I ran to about 1,000 personnel, or about the size of a modern battle group, out of an army mustering something like 40,000 all ranks. UNEF II was about 1,150 deployed from the post-Unification CF of about 95,000 strong.

* In 1978, according to Wikipedia, we had a contingent of about 110 people in UNIFIL; if I recall correctly, that group was spun off from UNEF II, then winding down, for the theatre-activation phase of the mission.

* In UNDOF on the Golan Heights (Operation Danaca), we provided a logistics battalion (typically about 100 personnel) from 1973 to 2002-ish; now, that mission is down to two staff officers deployed under Operation Gladius.

* In UNTSO (Operation Jade, running since 1953), we contribute military observers, never more than 10 at a time.

* In the MFO in the Sinai Peninsula (Operation Calumet, running since 1981), our people are air traffic control technicians who provide a "flight-following" service. That contingent tops out at about 30 all ranks.

* In the Office of the United States Security Coordinator in Jerusalem (Operation Proteus, running since 2005), we contribute staff officers whose activities are described with great delicacy in the Canadian Joint Operations Command website:

"The CAF members deployed on Operation PROTEUS fill a variety of key roles within the USSC as an integrated part of the organization. Task Force Jerusalem has grown and adapted to new roles within the USSC, and now has an emphasis on institutional capacity-building.

The members of Task Force Jerusalem:

- provide the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) with training advice and support;
- help the PASF develop logistics capabilities;
- support the construction of security infrastructure for the Palestinian Authority; and
- facilitate co-operation between the Palestinian Authority and Government of Canada on issues that are not usually of military interest, such as borders and crossings, and movement and access."

Said website does not indicate the size of the deployed task force, but I happen to know that it has varied from as few as one member to about 35 all ranks.

And that's it, that's all.