Montreal, October 30, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and Fayaz Karim are pleased to announce the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against them in April 2024.
The lawsuit was filed by Lisa Levitan, an Ontario teacher who formerly worked at Knoxdale Public School in Ottawa. In her lawsuit, Levitan sought $1 million in damages. She also sought an injunction requiring CJPME and Mr. Karim to delete their public statements about her.
Levitan's lawsuit arose from inflammatory statements she made in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks in Israel last year. Days after the attack, Levitan publicly disparaged supporters of the Palestinian people, who are being subjected to a genocide by Israel.
Upon learning of Levitan's remarks, CJPME denounced her and requested that the Ottawa Carleton District School Board take appropriate action against her.
Levitan's lawsuit has been dismissed based on the consent of the parties. Neither CJPME nor Mr. Karim have retracted any of the statements they made about Levitan. They have not admitted any liability, nor have they issued any kind of an apology for their statements about Levitan. Neither CJPME nor Mr. Karim has paid or will pay any compensation to Ms. Levitan.
“CJPME will always stand up to threats and lawfare that are designed to silence our organization and prevent it from advocating for Palestinian human rights,” stated Thomas Woodley, President of CJPME. CJPME points out that not only are Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere facing threats to their lives, rights and livelihoods, but Palestinians and their allies in Canada face threats to their freedom of expression and other civic rights. “Now more than ever, CJPME will stand up for the civil liberties of Palestinians and their allies in Canada, while it continues its advocacy for a justice-oriented and law-based Canadian foreign policy,” added Woodley.
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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