CJPME Factsheet 66, published November, 2009: This factsheet provides an overview of a report by human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) entitled Israel/Gaza: Operation ‘Cast Lead’: 22 days of death and destruction. The report accuses the Israeli army of having killed hundreds of unarmed Palestinian civilians, and of having destroyed thousands of homes in Gaza in attacks which seriously infringed on the provisions of international humanitarian law.  Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 70, published November, 2009: This factsheet provides an overview of the new entry restrictions by Israeli Border Control on foreign nationals wishing to travel between Israel, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. The implementation of these new entry restrictions in June 2009 is in clear contravention of principles outlined in international law and the 1995 Oslo II Accords. This factsheet also looks at the Canadian Government’s reaction to these visa violations. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 65, published October, 2009: This factsheet looks at the potential crimes committed by Israel during its massive three-week assault on the Gaza Strip beginning December 27th, 2008. The 22 day assault killed over 1400 civilians, many of them women and children; destroyed hospitals, mosques, and schools; killed livestock; destroyed large tracts of agricultural land; and battered an economy already decimated by Israel’s blockade. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 63, published May, 2009: After occupying East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel seized archeological artifacts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of over 900 ancient manuscripts excavated from Qumran and surrounding areas in the West Bank. In June, 2009, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) showcased these artifacts in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority, violating Canada’s responsibilities under UNESCO and its own obligations as a member of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA). Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 60, published May, 2009: This factsheet looks at arrangements under which American Forces have been operating in Iraq, such as the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), which guarantees a US withdrawal from Iraq by 2011, and sets the legal status of US troops and US contractor, as well as that of detainees. This factsheet also looks at the challenges that lie ahead in a post-SOFA Iraq. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 64, published May, 2009: This factsheet provides an introduction to the term “respectable racism,” which is defined as actions and speech that should be defined as racist but that are no longer perceived as such by politicians, intellectuals and the public at large. Depictions of Arabs and Muslims as irrational and full of hatred, for instance, are some of the most common examples of respectable racism today. As this kind of racist discourse becomes acceptable, it evolves into “respectable racism,” representing a dangerous norm with detrimental consequences for society at large. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 59, published April, 2009: This factsheet looks into Omar Khadr’ ordeal, from being captured in Afghanistan by American troops in 2002 at the age of fifteen, to his detention at Guantanamo Bay, where he has been held without a trial for nearly seven years. Although Khadr is a Canadian citizen, the Canadian government has refused to seek his extradition or repatriation despite the urgings to do so of Amnesty International and the Canadian Bar Association. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 61, published April, 2009: This factsheet looks at Israel’s move to the right in the political spectrum. The 2009 Israeli elections resulted in the victory of a right wing government headed by the leader of the Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu, that is the most overtly hawkish in the country’s recent history. Its election does not bode well for regional stability or peace with Palestinians, and its worldview and intentions are explicit in their current policies, political histories, and portrayal in the media. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 62, published April, 2009: While Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007, Egypt has also played a crucial role in maintaining the siege by closing its own border – the Rafah crossing – with Gaza. Many people around the world see Egypt as complicit in the human rights abuses imposed on Gaza for its collaboration with the Israeli-led blockade of the Strip. Continue reading

CJPME Factsheet 57, published March, 2009: This factsheet looks at the challenges that lie ahead should Avigdor Lieberman become Israel’s Foreign Minister. After receiving 15% of seats in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in the 2009 general elections, the Yisrael Beitenu party poses a grave threat to the Israeli/Palestinian peace process and to the rights of Arab citizens of Israel. Beiteinu’s platform is one of ultra-right-wing ethnic nationalism, whose tenets relating to citizenship, military service and land allocation can accurately be described as fascist. Continue reading