Montreal, March 23, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging Canada to act on the recommendations of an important new United Nations report which concludes that Israel is practicing apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The report was authored by Michael Lynk, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, and will be introduced to the Human Rights Council on Thursday March 24. It conducts a legal analysis of Israel’s rule over the occupied territory, and concludes that it “satisfies the prevailing evidentiary standard for the existence of apartheid.”

“This important UN report reflects the growing consensus within the human rights sector that Israeli rule over the Palestinian people amounts to Apartheid,” said Michael Bueckert, Vice President of CJPME. “Canada must immediately move to implement the report’s recommendations, and work with other states at the United Nations to build an international response to Israel’s system of racial discrimination,” added Bueckert.

CJPME notes that Canada is not a member of the UN Human Rights Council, but can work together with other UN member states to welcome the report and push for its implementation. Along these lines, the Special Rapporteur makes several recommendations which are relevant to Canada and its role at the UN:

• Canada should accept and adopt the findings of human rights groups that “apartheid is being practised by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond”;
• Canada should work with other states to “assemble a diplomatic menu of accountability measures” that can bring an end to occupation and apartheid;
• Canada should support efforts to seek redress for apartheid at the International Criminal Court and/or the International Court of Justice;
• As a UN member, Canada should support re-establishing the Special Committee Against Apartheid.

The UN report follows on the publication of similar findings of Israeli “apartheid” by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, B’Tselem, Yesh Din, and many other international and regional human rights organizations. CJPME is disappointed that Canada’s response to this growing consensus has been dismissive, with government officials flatly rejecting the analysis of apartheid without appearing to meaningfully consider the report or its implications. CJPME urges Canada to review these serious findings with good faith, and act to hold the Israeli government accountable for demonstrated crimes against humanity.

About CJPME – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is a non-profit and secular organization bringing together men and women of all backgrounds who labour to see justice and peace take root again in the Middle East. Its mission is to empower decision-makers to view all sides with fairness and to promote the equitable and sustainable development of the region.

For more information, please contact: Michael Bueckert, VP CJPME: 613-315-7947 or [email protected].

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East www.cjpme.org

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