Montreal, April 24, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) to publicly denounce the provocative and anti-Palestinian remarks of their Israel Office Director, David M. Weinberg. As a frequent columnist in Israeli media, Mr. Weinberg has recently called on Israel to “retake control” of Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount, expel the family members of Palestinian “terrorists,” and compared the bombing of Gaza to “mowing your front lawn,” while likening Palestinians to “weeds” and “snakes.” CJPME insists that CIJA clarify that they reject and condemn their director’s extremist positions. Continue reading

Montreal, April 20, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling for immediate action after discovering that many prominent Canadian politicians have placed advertisements on a Website called TheJ.ca, which regularly hosts racist content. In a report published today titled "Legitimizing Hate," CJPME has uncovered advertisements running on TheJ.ca on behalf of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and other politicians at the federal, provincial, and municipal level, as well as a variety of businesses and non-profits. Continue reading

Montreal, April 5, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to condemn the Israeli government in the strongest terms following last night’s brutal attack on worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Widely circulating videos from inside the Al-Qibli prayer hall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque show Israeli police brutally beating Palestinian worshippers who had been performing the religious practice of Itikaf during Ramadan. Hundreds of Palestinians, including women, children, and elderly, were staying overnight in the mosque to pray. During the attack, a health clinic was destroyed and media teams were blocked from accessing the injured. CJPME urges Canada to respond to this aggressive attack on a place of worship by imposing sanctions on Israel, starting with an immediate arms embargo. Continue reading

Montreal, March 18, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is appalled by the decision of Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to meet with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen this week. This was the first meeting between Minister Joly and Israel’s far-right government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, which has been in power since the end of 2022. CJPME identifies Cohen as a far-right extremist and annexationist, who has said that Palestinian citizens of Israel can “move to Gaza on a one-way ticket.” According to the readout of the meeting, Minister Joly expressed concerns about violence against Israelis but did not confront Israel on its escalation of violence and oppression against Palestinians. CJPME reiterates its call for Canada to send a strong message in support of human rights and international law by imposing a diplomatic boycott on Israel’s far-right regime. Continue reading

Montreal, March 9, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) has sent a letter to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly urging the imposition of sanctions against Israeli officials in response to their attempted annexation of the occupied West Bank. In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its illegal colonization of the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), dramatically expanding illegal settlements and moving to restructure its governance over the West Bank in a way that experts say amounts to de jure annexation. CJPME argues that these Israeli actions have crossed a red line, and urges Canada to impose sanctions on the Israeli officials who are responsible, including Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Smotrich. Continue reading

Montreal, March 3, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Park West School and the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) to immediately issue an apology for their racist ban on the Palestinian traditional scarf, or Kufiyah. During a cultural event at Park West School, students celebrating their Palestinian heritage by donning the Kufiyah were told by their school principal to remove the scarf, claiming it “represents the colours of war.” Continue reading

Montreal, March 1, 2023 — Earlier today, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) sent an urgent letter to Canada’s Senate Speaker George Furey and Senators Plett and Laboucane-Benson raising troubling human rights concerns over their recent delegation to Israel. For several days this week, the Senators met with far-right Israeli lawmakers and other Israeli institutions to discuss strengthening Canada’s bilateral relationship with the country. CJPME warned the Senators that their visit is problematic in the context of Israel’s far-right government, escalating Israeli violence against Palestinians, its actions to annex the West Bank, and the growing recognition that Israel’s practices amount to the crime of apartheid under international law. Continue reading

Montreal, February 27, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) demands that the Canadian government hold Israeli officials responsible for acts of settler terrorism in the Palestinian town of Huwara and several other villages near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Over a period of five hours last evening, more than 400 Israeli settlers attacked Huwara, Zaatara, Burin, and Asira al-Qibliya, killing at least 1 Palestinian and wounding at least 390, while torching at least 75 homes (35 of which were destroyed completely) and 100 vehicles. At least 9 families reportedly had to be rescued from their burning homes. Although a public announcement for the pogrom was widely circulated hours in advance, Israeli forces allowed settlers to enter the town freely and did not intervene until hours after the start of the violence; eyewitnesses say that soldiers protected settlers and were a “partner” in the attacks. CJPME argues that action from Canada and the rest of the international community is necessary to protect Palestinians from future atrocities committed by Israeli settler and state forces. Continue reading

Montreal, February 22, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) demands that the Canadian government condemn Israel’s deadly military invasion of Nablus today in the occupied West Bank, which reportedly killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured more than 100. Today’s attack comes less than one month after a similar attack in Jenin which killed 10 Palestinians, including at least three civilians. CJPME argues that international condemnation and sanctions are necessary to hold Israeli officials accountable for these actions, which may amount to war crimes, and to prevent Israel from committing further aggressive acts. Continue reading

Montreal, February 15, 2023 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging the Canadian government to take immediate action against Israel’s decision to authorize nine new illegal settlements and construct ten thousand new settler units in the occupied West Bank. On February 14, Canada’s foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly issued a statement saying that Canada is “concerned” by Israel’s decision and that it “strongly opposes the expansion of settlements.” This followed similar statements from the United States and several European countries. However, CJPME believes that concrete action is necessary to stop Israel’s settlement plans, including sanctions against the Israeli officials who are responsible. Continue reading