📄 Download the Full 2025 Annual Report (PDF)

2025 was a transformative year for Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME). Our organization strengthened its role as a leading advocate for Palestinian human rights in Canada, combining strategic advocacy, grassroots mobilization, and media interventions to hold governments and institutions accountable.

1. CJPME in 2025: Mission and Strategic Focus

Throughout the year, CJPME worked to ensure that public concern about Palestinian human rights translated into measurable action. From raising awareness of Canada’s complicity in the Israeli occupation and war crimes to influencing election debates and parliamentary legislation, CJPME expanded its impact in both public discourse and policymaking.

Thanks to the dedication of our supporters, volunteers, and staff, 2025 was not only a year of defending Palestinian rights but also a year of shaping narratives, advancing justice, and building a foundation for sustained advocacy in 2026 and beyond.

CJPME’s Mission:

CJPME’s mission is to enable Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development, and peace in the Middle East, and here at home in Canada. In 2025, our efforts centered on three strategic priorities:

1. Shaping Public Discourse

• Challenging misinformation, amplifying marginalized voices, and reframing national debates.
• Ensuring Palestinian human rights remained a visible and pressing concern in Canadian society.

1. Influencing Policy and Decision-Makers

• Conducting targeted campaigns, lobbying MPs, and providing research-based briefings.
• Holding policymakers accountable and promoting laws and policies grounded in international law and human rights.

1. Building Citizen Power

• Training volunteers, mobilizing grassroots campaigns, and fostering civic engagement.
• Turning public concern into concrete action and empowering Canadians to advocate for justice and accountability.

This strategic approach enabled CJPME to respond rapidly to emerging crises, correct media distortions, and ensure that Canadian institutions and the public recognize their responsibilities toward human rights and justice.

2. Our Team and Supporters

CJPME is powered entirely by individual donors, with no government grants or corporate contributions. In 2025, our community of supporters enabled campaigns, lobbying, research, the Lobby Corps, media advocacy, and public education initiatives.

Our team of ten staff worked alongside over 80 volunteers to turn citizen engagement into measurable political and social impact. Every donation directly supported the defense of Palestinian human rights, promoted accountability for Canadian institutions, and advanced public understanding of justice and international law.

3. Main Work and Achievements in 2025

3.1 Media Accountability Project (MAP)

CJPME’s Media Accountability Project (MAP) continued to be a leading force in reshaping Canadian media narratives about Palestine in 2025. Through strategic complaints, public interventions, and advocacy, MAP ensured that Palestinian perspectives were fairly represented, biased reporting was corrected, and public discourse was informed by facts.

3.1.1 Landmark Regulatory Wins

MAP secured multiple landmark decisions from the National NewsMedia Council (NNC) and the Quebec Press Council, affirming complaints against biased reporting by outlets including The Toronto Sun, National Post, The Suburban, and Canadian Jewish News. These rulings rejected false claims that opposition to Israel constitutes antisemitism and reinforced the need for accurate reporting on Palestinian issues.

Key regulatory victories included:

• National NewsMedia Council – Toronto Sun: Challenged misleading claims smearing peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The NNC confirmed violations of journalistic standards.
• Quebec Press Council – The Suburban: Upheld CJPME’s complaint against sensationalist reporting on Dawson and Vanier CEGEPs.
• Quebec Press Council – Canadian Jewish News: Censured misleading reporting exaggerating antisemitic behavior among pro-Palestine demonstrators.
• National NewsMedia Council – Jewish News Syndicate / National Post: Required transparency and editorial corrections for syndicated content.
• Other notable wins: Numerous corrections from The Globe and Mail, CBC, Postmedia, Toronto Star, and Black Press Media for inaccurate headlines and biased framing.

3.1.2 Corrections and Public Interventions

MAP worked directly with major media outlets to correct misleading reporting and ensure accurate coverage of Gaza, Palestinian casualties, and pro-Palestinian activism. Notable interventions included:

• Headline corrections and clarifications from The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.
• Pressuring CBC to formally correct coverage that dismissed the term “genocide.”
• Mobilizing supporters to challenge anti-Palestinian rhetoric on radio and online platforms.
• Publishing letters to editors and media alerts to defend accurate reporting.
• Highlighting anti-Palestinian racism in media analysis.

3.1.3 Amplifying Palestinian Perspectives

MAP also worked to amplify Palestinian voices and perspectives in mainstream media:

• CJPME analysts were published in outlets such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and independent media.
• Media toolkits and guidance, including Your Definitive Palestine Media Toolkit, educated journalists and advocates.
• Co-edited the anthology When Genocide Wasn’t News, documenting systematic media erasure of Palestinian suffering.

3.1.4 Impact and Key Achievements

MAP’s interventions had measurable effects on journalism, public awareness, and civic engagement:

• Increased recognition of anti-Palestinian bias in media.
• Influenced editorial standards through complaints, corrections, and public pressure.
• Empowered citizens to demand accountability and engage in fact-based discourse.

By combining research, public pressure, and regulatory engagement, MAP continued to reshape media narratives, correct misinformation, and amplify Palestinian perspectives in Canadian journalism throughout 2025.

3.2 Campaigns and Public Engagement

CJPME ran a series of successful campaigns in 2025, mobilizing supporters and engaging institutions on multiple fronts. Through targeted advocacy, lobbying, and public mobilization, our campaigns advanced Palestinian human rights and held governments and political leaders accountable.

3.2.1 Federal Election Campaigns

During Canada’s federal election, CJPME played a leadership role in two third-party issue campaigns. We participated in the joint Vote Palestine Campaign and also launched our own ambitious electoral advertising campaign called “Say Genocide”. Targeting party leaders as well as key candidates, these two campaigns kept Palestinian human rights at the forefront of public debate and empowered thousands of Canadians with practical tools to engage candidates and influence the vote. Supporters received scripts for contacting MPs, suggested debate questions, and guidance on organizing public events. For example, CJPME had over 7,500 supporters email the debates commission and party leaders requesting a question about genocide in Gaza in the federal leadership debates.

To amplify our goal of stopping arms transfers to Israel,  CJPME partnered with Point Blank Creative to launch a national advertising initiative. Online visuals, animated trucks, and mobile billboards challenged political leaders on Canada’s arms exports to Israel and complicity in human rights violations. These efforts produced tangible results, including public statements from leaders across party lines:

• During the leadership debates, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh directly confronted then-Liberal leader Mark Carney on the genocide in Gaza, closely echoing CJPME’s Say Genocide campaign language.
• Liberal candidate Adam van Koeverden publicly defied party pressure to speak out calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide.

Our campaigns also had lasting effects on electoral engagement and outcomes:

• Seventeen Liberal MPs endorsed the Vote Palestine platform.
• Six NDP MPs and one Green MP pledged support for Palestinian rights.
• The election saw the historic election of Fares Al-Soud, only the second Palestinian Canadian elected to Parliament.
• Generated over 11,000 page visits and welcomed more than 5,000 new digital supporters to CJPME’s network, strengthening our base for future advocacy.
• The campaigns raised over $60,000, reflecting the generosity and commitment of our community.

3.2.2 Arms Embargo and Trade Campaigns

CJPME advanced several key initiatives to address Canadian complicity in human rights violations in Palestine:

• Arms Embargo Now: Advocated to halt Canadian arms transfers to Israel, including the F-35 program and artillery propellants, working with international partners and major Canadian news outlets to bring attention to Canada’s ongoing military shipments to Israel.
• No More Loopholes Act (Bill C-233): In collaboration with MP Jenny Kwan, supported the introduction of Bill C-233 to formally close these export loopholes that allow Canadian made weapons to reach Israel via the United States. CJPME leadership participated in Parliament Hill press conferences and public briefings to promote the bill, and a comprehensive Lobbying Toolkit was released to mobilize supporters to engage MPs effectively.
• Cancelling CIFTA: Renewed calls for Canada to cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, which facilitates Israel’s illegal annexation of occupied Palestinian territory.

3.2.3 Sanctions and Accountability Campaigns

CJPME joined global coalitions to advocate for targeted sanctions against the World Zionist Organization and other Israeli institutions responsible for human rights violations. We submitted detailed requests to Global Affairs Canada and mobilized public support for accountability measures in Gaza. Our digital campaign pushing for economic sanctions on Israel to stop starvation in Gaza generated over 32,100 email submissions and 76,000 site visits, making it our most successful digital campaign ever.

Other related campaigns included:

• Civil Liberties Defense: Joined 37 organizations opposing Bill C-9, warning it could criminalize peaceful protest and undermine Charter rights.
• Gaza TRV Family Reunification: Intensified advocacy for the evacuation and humane processing of Palestinian Canadian family members, calling for a permanent immigration stream and safe corridors.
• Published a guide to the Liberal Party leadership candidates when Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister, assessing each candidate’s record on Palestine and highlighting potential challenges for principled foreign policy.
• Launched targeted campaigns opposing pro-Israel appointments, including Marco Mendicino as Chief of Staff, mobilizing thousands of supporter emails demanding accountability.

Through these campaigns, CJPME translated public concern into tangible action, strengthened political engagement, and reinforced Canada’s responsibility to respect human rights and international law.

3.3 Webinars and Podcasts

In 2025, CJPME advanced its public education work through targeted webinars, trainings, and digital media focused on Palestinian human rights, Canadian foreign policy, and concrete avenues for political engagement. These initiatives emphasized policy analysis and advocacy skills, equipping supporters with the tools needed to engage institutions and decision-makers.

3.3.1 Webinars and Trainings

CJPME hosted a series of focused webinars and trainings aimed at preparing supporters and civil society actors for effective advocacy:

• No More Loopholes Act Webinar: Prepared supporters to advocate for MP Jenny Kwan’s private member’s bill, Bill C-233, which seeks to close loopholes in Canada’s arms export controls.
• Bill C-2 Analysis Webinar: Examined the implications of Bill C-2 for migrants and refugees, highlighting risks to civil liberties and accountability mechanisms.
• When Genocide Wasn’t News Book Discussion: Examined systemic failures in Canadian media coverage of Palestine, with a focus on media accountability and public discourse.
• Lobby Corps Training Sessions: Trained volunteers to engage MPs and political offices through structured lobbying and coordinated outreach.

3.3.2 The Palestine Debrief Podcast

In 2025, The Palestine Debrief Podcast served as a key platform for CJPME’s public education work, offering in-depth discussions on Canadian policy, media coverage, and advocacy related to Palestinian human rights. Hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan, the podcast featured lawyers, authors, politicians, and advocates examining Canada’s role in international accountability. For example, episodes included a discussion with Paul Fauteux, a lawyer specializing in international law, who shared his experience of being dismissed from his role as a sports mediator following his advocacy urging the CDPQ to divest from Israel. His participation illustrated the professional consequences faced by individuals who speak out for Palestinian rights.

3.4 Lobby Corps Program

CJPME launched the Lobby Corps to train volunteers to engage Members of Parliament directly on Palestinian human rights. Dozens have completed the training, participated in coordinated advocacy efforts, and helped establish a scalable model for national citizen engagement. Lobby Corps members began engaging the Bloc Québécois and other parliamentary caucuses to ensure Palestinian human rights remained a parliamentary priority. In preparation for expansion in 2026, CJPME hosted a specialized training workshop with former MP Libby Davies, equipping volunteers with practical skills to maximize their effectiveness in meetings with elected officials.

3.5 Defending Academic Freedom and Civil Liberties

CJPME actively opposed political interference in academic spaces, including Quebec Education Minister Pascale Déry’s attempts to suppress discussions about Palestine at Vanier and Dawson Colleges. Déry launched a politically motivated “investigation” targeting Palestinian literature and attempted to prevent discussion of the Nakba. In response, CJPME called for her resignation and publicly defended the rights of students and educators to engage in open discourse on Palestine, receiving media coverage for our advocacy.

We also defended student activists at Concordia University who organized support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Across Canada, we defended citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, ensuring advocacy for Palestinian rights is not silenced. CJPME sent a joint letter with over 60 organizations calling on Premier Doug Ford to stop persecuting Palestinian human rights defenders and dismantle the so-called "Hate Crimes Working Group" and launched a campaign that generated more than 5,500 protest emails.

3.6 Press Releases

In 2025, CJPME issued numerous press releases responding to developments in Canada and internationally, holding governments, institutions, and media accountable for actions affecting Palestinian human rights. The following examples illustrate the breadth of CJPME’s public interventions throughout the year.

• CJPME defended academic freedom and student advocacy by condemning McGill University’s termination of its agreement with the Students’ Society of McGill University and opposing broader crackdowns on campus expression. 
• We urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to reject U.S. and Israeli efforts to control humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza, warning against the weaponization of aid, and joined calls for Quebec to provide health coverage to Palestinians fleeing Gaza. 
• We demanded that the RCMP investigate Canadians serving in the Israeli military.
• CJPME pressed for accountability in Canada’s foreign policy by exposing Canadian arms transfers to Israel during the Gaza genocide, calling for a full arms embargo and sanctions, and highlighting public opinion data showing majority support for halting arms exports. 
• We urged Canada to protect the Freedom Flotilla and demanded safe passage for civilian aid ships bound for Gaza, while mobilizing supporters to call for de-escalation and sanctions following regional escalation.
• CJPME reaffirmed long-standing policy positions by urging Canada to recognize the Nakba, oppose Nakba denial, and support international accountability mechanisms, including reparations and protections for Palestinian refugees. 
• We welcomed Canada’s announcement on Palestinian state recognition while emphasizing that meaningful recognition requires concrete measures, including sanctions and an arms embargo.
• CJPME intervened in media and civil society debates by condemning the killing of Palestinian journalists, warning against the normalization of the far-right Jewish Defence League, and joining coalition calls for sanctions on the World Zionist Organization and Israeli officials involved in illegal settlement activity. 
• CJPME further condemned Israel’s decision to bar Canadian MPs from the West Bank and called for diplomatic consequences.

3.7 Media Coverage and Public Recognition

In 2025, CJPME’s analysis, advocacy, and campaigns were widely cited and featured across Canadian and international media, reflecting the organization’s growing influence in public discourse on Palestinian human rights, media accountability, and Canadian foreign policy. The examples below illustrate the scope of this coverage rather than providing a comprehensive list.

CJPME was prominently featured in many Canadian Press stories that were picked up across Canada. For example:

• CJPME’s role in the Arms Embargo Now coalition and its various reports on how Canada is still arming Israel secured widespread attention from the Canadian Press, CBC, Toronto Star, and outlets everywhere, prominently featuring CJPME’s Senior Director Alex Paterson.
• CJPME’s support for MP Kwan’s Bill C-233 to close the US loophole was covered by the Canadian Press on multiple occasions, including quotes from Paterson.
• CJPME’s demand that the RCMP investigate Canadians allegedly involved in war crimes in Gaza reported extensively by the Canadian Press and Postmedia and republished in newspapers, radio, and television outlets across the country, and followed up by the Toronto Star.
• When Prime Minister Carney recognized the State of Palestine, CJPME’s position was covered by the Canadian Press in multiple stories, and widely published by TV news networks, radio stations and newspapers across the country.
• CJPME was also mentioned in a Canadian Press story about Canadians aboard the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, which was aired on many TV and radio stations.
• CJPME’s call for an arms embargo on UAE to stop its arming of Sudanese militias was covered by the Globe and Mail and the Canadian Press.

CJPME staff were regularly sought out for expert commentary. For example:

• Acting President Michael Bueckert was interviewed by CBC about Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza, by the CBC about the need to classify Israel’s targeting of civilians as genocide, and by the Globe and Mail about Carney’s pledge to arrest Netanyahu if he enters Canada. He was also interviewed by CBC News and CityNews about the need for Carney to stop arms exports to the UAE.
• Director of Media Advocacy Jason Toney published an article for The Breach about CJPME’s investigation into the National Post’s dubious journalism practices, including re-writing stories from the Canadian Press. Toney was also interviewed by The Grind about his unusual interactions with the host of CBC’s Power & Politics, and was quoted by the Montreal Gazette in support of the right of students to take pro-Palestine positions.

CJPME staff and volunteers also regularly published letters to the editor:

• Media Analyst Anthony Issa published letters in Hamilton Spectator in support of Vote Palestine, in the Globe and Mail about anti-Palestinian racism, and in the Globe and Mail about Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
• Media Analyst Lynn Naji published letters in the Hamilton Spectator challenging disinformation about Gaza journalists; in the Hill Times challenging Islamophobic attacks on a public official; in the Hill Times on Israeli apartheid; and in the Western Standard challenging Islamophobic fearmongering.
• CJPME volunteer Adam Allouba also published a letter in the Suburban on its work that dehumanized Palestinians, volunteer Nikki Mutch published a letter to the editor in the Hill Times about the need to sanction Israel, and CJPME Saskatoon’s Ahmad Al-Dissi was interviewed by CBC Saskatoon Morning about the so-called ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza.

Across mainstream and independent outlets, CJPME continued to be recognized as a leading voice on Palestinian human rights, civil liberties, and Canada’s international obligations.

3.8 Reports

In 2025, CJPME released several major research publications that informed advocacy, media accountability efforts, and public debate.

The Toll of Intent: CJPME released a report projecting that between 14 and 20 percent of Gaza’s population could be killed by 2030 without urgent intervention. Drawing on demographic modeling and emerging legal scholarship, the report concluded that the evidentiary case for genocide is strong and increasingly supported by experts.

Exposing the U.S. Loophole: Co-authored by CJPME, this report exposed how Canadian military goods continue to reach Israel through the United States, contradicting government claims and providing documented evidence to support calls to close the U.S. arms export loophole.

4. Looking Ahead to 2026: How You Make Change Possible

CJPME exists because people like you refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. Your support does more than fund our work; it transforms concern into real-world impact. Our key priorities for the year include:

• Exert pressure on Parliament to pass the No More Loopholes Act, which would close Canadian arms export loopholes that benefit Israel.
• Expand the Lobby Corps nationwide, empowering more Canadians to engage MPs directly on human rights issues.
• Advance global sanctions campaigns targeting Israeli institutions and enablers of human rights violations.
• Continue the Media Accountability Project (MAP) to challenge media bias, correct misinformation, and defend Palestine solidarity.
• Support parliamentary efforts to formally recognize Israel’s genocide in Gaza and ensure Canadian accountability.

Through these initiatives, CJPME will continue building public awareness, civic engagement, and institutional accountability, strengthening the impact of Palestinian human rights advocacy across Canada.

5. Ways to Give

Your support powers CJPME’s work to hold Canada accountable, amplify Palestinian voices, and turn public outrage into real political change. Every contribution strengthens our campaigns, research, and advocacy efforts and ensures that citizen action continues to make a tangible difference.

• One-Time Donation: Make an immediate impact by fueling our advocacy, media accountability efforts, and public campaigns. We highly rely on individual donors. Donate here.
• Monthly Donation: Become a sustaining supporter and help CJPME plan long-term initiatives, from strategic lobbying to nationwide campaigns. Your monthly gift ensures our work is continuous, effective, and ready to respond when it matters most. Sign up here.
• Direct Bank Deposit: Prefer a direct method? Contact our Senior Director of Development at [email protected] for details.

6. Contact and Social Media

• Get in Touch:
  Email: General inquiries: [email protected]| Donations: [email protected]
  Phone: (438) 380-5410
  Website: www.cjpme.org
• Stay Connected: Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram

📄 Download the Full 2025 Annual Report (PDF)