Montreal, December 28, 2024 - The CJPME Board thanks Thomas Woodley for his long-standing leadership, dedication, and tireless work over the past 20 years. We are grateful for the foundational work of Tom and Grace Batchoun to create and grow CJPME into the important national voice it is today, for peace and justice in the Middle East.

Israel’s devastating war on Gaza and the routine violence faced by Palestinians under military occupation have produced a catastrophic human toll, leading the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Israel to change its actions to prevent the “real and imminent risk” of genocide. The UN Human Rights Council and independent UN experts have called on all states to cease the sale and transfer of weapons to Israel immediately, or else risk complicity in war crimes or acts of genocide. Although Parliament voted in March 2024 in support of ending arms transfers to Israel, Canada’s actions to date have been limited and insufficient, allowing weapons to continue to flow to Israel. Canada cannot continue to export arms to Israel and maintain a close working relationship with the Israeli military so long as it is involved in egregious violations of international humanitarian law. Canada must use its diplomatic and economic leverage vis-a-vis Israel’s defense and security establishment to bring an immediate end to the violence.  

Palestine satisfies all the criteria for statehood according to the Montevideo Convention: it has a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the ability to enter relations with other states. Over 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, with Spain, Ireland and Norway joining the chorus just recently. If Canada says it supports Palestinian self-determination, it should delay no longer, and recognize Palestine immediately!

Boycott campaign: Keter plastic Factsheet Series No. 249, created: August 2024, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East   View factsheet in PDF format CJPME Factsheet 249, published August 2024: This factsheet outlines the boycott campaign against the Israeli company Keter Plastic due to its production in Israel and its historical operations in the occupied West Bank. It details Keter's exploitation of Palestinian labour, complicity in settlement expansion, and continued violations of Palestinian human rights. Despite closing its factory in the occupied West Bank in 2014, Keter remains culpable for its prior breaches of international law and its extensive history of exploiting Palestinian land and resources for economic gain.