Israel’s brutal war against Gaza has targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure at an alarming rate. Over 70% of the casualties have been women and children, and Israel has severely damaged all of Gaza’s necessities of life: housing, water, energy, food, and the healthcare system. Not only do Israel’s military actions amount to war crimes, but UN experts warn of a “genocide in the making.” Despite Canada’s vote for a ceasefire at the UN, Canada continues to export weapons to Israel at record-high levels, making the Canadian government complicit in Israel’s violence. (See below for more info). Given the scale of death and destruction, Canada must not continue to export arms to Israel. Canada must instead use its arms trade as leverage to enforce a ceasefire and bring an immediate end to the violence.

Since Oct. 7, Ontario-based Palestinian-Canadian Nael Alhalees has been imploring the Canadian government to help him evacuate his family from Gaza. Alhalees’ two children Layan and Kareem are Canadian citizens, but his wife Enas is not, and the Canadian government has so far refused to put her on the evacuation list. His wife and children have moved 35 times since Oct. 7, and have gotten sick with fever and vomiting from eating tainted food and water. Unfortunately, Alhalees is not alone, as Canada continues to impose strict rules on the evacuation of extended family members of Canadian citizens. On Dec. 4, the NDP proposed excellent new guidelines to make it easier for family members of Canadians citizens to be evacuated from Gaza.  In the past, Canada has developed special rules for crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Syria, and it should likewise help Palestinian-Canadian families separated by Israel's brutal assault on Gaza's civilian population.  Australia has already implemented such emergency, temporary measures, and Canada should do likewise.

Last month, 11 peace activists were violently arrested by Toronto police and are being investigated for criminal mischief for allegedly putting red paint and posters on the storefront of an Indigo bookstore, in protest of Indigo CEO Heather Reisman’s indirect financial support for the Israeli military. The severe charges and mistreatment of these activists, and terming their actions “hate-motivated” by the police were completely unjustified.  These actions were also an act of intimidation intended to silence critics of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

One month ago, Canada voted AGAINST a preliminary UN resolution condemning Israel’s settlements as illegal and detrimental to peace. In fact, Canada has voted against similar resolutions for the last 12 years! This sends a message that Canada supports Israel’s theft of Palestinian land, at a moment when Israel’s racist government is expanding settlements, annexing territory, and enabling settler attacks on Palestinians. This week, the final UN “plenary” vote is set to take place, and Canada has a chance to change its vote and be on the right side of history.

On Nov. 13, Rich Ward, principal of Tribune Drive Public School in Brampton was suspended from his job while the Peel District School Board (PSDB) “investigates” a brief tweet he made the day before. In that tweet, Ward rightly suggests that Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and that Israel’s violence was triggering anti-Zionist sentiment in Canada. The PDSB has clearly caved to vague criticisms about Ward’s post, while 1) seemingly unaware of expert concerns over Israel’s genocidal violence, and 2) contemptuous of Ward’s right to free expression.

In October, Lisa Levitan, an educator with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board made social media posts and statements to the media suggesting that either people support Israel – a country accused of practicing apartheid by Amnesty International – or they are supporters of terrorism. Ms. Levitan’s statements contribute to a climate of hostility and discrimination within the OCDSB, violating several provisions of the OCDSB’s human rights policies, including Violations of OCDSB Policies P.147.GOV (Human Rights) and P.125.SCO (School District Code of Conduct). Despite a letter of complaint signed by over 1000 Ottawa-area parents and organizations, the OCDSB has thus far failed to act substantively.

While the Middle East coverage by the Hamilton Spectator has never been good, two incidents in recent weeks demonstrate that it is truly hateful toward Palestinians: On Thursday, Nov. 23 , the Spec REJECTED an ad listing the names of the 5600+ Palestinian children who had been killed by Israel and calling for a ceasefire. Yet less than two weeks ago, on Nov. 11, the Spec PUBLISHED a full-page ad about the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, showing each of their pictures and calling for their release. That the Spec would refuse an ad expressing sympathy for Palestinian victims, yet publish another ad expressing sympathy for Israeli victims shows that the Hamilton Spectator is NO LONGER WORTHY OF OUR BUSINESS.

Arij Al Khafagi was recently suspended from the Bachelor of Nursing Program at the U. of Manitoba, with a five-year reprimand on her academic transcript!  Despite being an exemplary student, and president of the Nursing Students' Association, Arij was harshly disciplined for social media posts she had made which were critical of Israel's violence against Palestinians.  With no concern for the trauma Arij felt as an Arab student, and without consulting neutral experts on racism, the U. of Manitoba caved to vague criticisms that Arij's posts opposing Israeli violence were antisemitic.

In October, Quebec cardiologist Dr. Éric Sabbah made a genocidal post on Facebook (original in French) stating, “Whatever the images from Gaza, everything has to be razed to the ground…” adding, “It's impossible to tell the good guys from the bad...” The Journal de Montréal covered the story stating that complaints had been raised with Quebec’s Medical College and Quebec Health Board. CJPME and others in the medical establishment are appalled by such shameless racism and call for Dr. Sabbah’s professional censure.  

For years, Canada has allowed products imported from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) to be falsely labelled as “Product of Israel.” CJPME and others have long argued that this undermines international law and contributes to Israel’s colonization of Palestinian land. Forced by a legal case to review this approach, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently launched a public consultation into how products from so-called ‘contested territories’ (like the West Bank and Gaza) should be labelled. CJPME itself has already submitted a formal analysis asserting that Canada must no longer allow products from illegal Israeli settlements to be labelled “Product of Israel.” Fortunately, the government consultation is OPEN TO EVERYONE!  So a few original sentences FROM YOU about the need for clear “region of origin” labelling will really increase the pressure on Israel. Continue reading