Montreal, June 9, 2026 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes Global Affairs Canada’s announcement today of a fresh round of sanctions on extremist settler violence in the West Bank alongside key European partners. For the last 8 months, CJPME, alongside our partners in the Global Sanctions Coalition, have been advocating for Canada to expand its sanctions regime against Israel, including Libi Construction and Infrastructure Ltd. for their role in the destruction of Palestinian civilian property. CJPME also urges Canada to capitalize on this global momentum and impose stronger sanctions on the entities that financially encourage and support violations of Palestine’s territorial integrity, especially illegal settlements.
“Canada can do more and must do more to stop Israeli settlement expansion,” said Yara Shoufani, President of CJPME. “These sanctions, while important, are only a stop along the way to the required sanctioning of the parts of the Israeli state and the NGO apparatus, like the World Zionist Organization, set up to facilitate the annexation of the entirety of Palestine by Israeli settlers.”
To date Canada has focused its sanctions program exclusively on extremist settler violence and far-right Ministers in the Israeli government who lead the extremist settler movement in the setting up of illegal outposts. At the same time Canadian policy views all settlements, whether regularized or unrecognized outposts, as illegal under international law.
“This is one the most incoherent areas in Canadian foreign policy,” said Alex Paterson, Senior Director at CJPME. “At the same time as sanctioning extremist violent settlers and holding a policy that all settlements are war crimes, Canada offers free trade benefits to Israel’s settlements through the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. It's a completely baffling policy framework that the Minister should urgently correct with full sanctions on all settlements.”
Canada has of yet not formally imposed any sanctions on Israel’s large formalized settlement projects, however, in a recent joint statement they warned Canadians against participating in the E1 settlement project. Under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power cannot transfer its civilian population into occupied territory or permanently alter its character absent absolute necessity. Israeli settlements, including the E1 project and settlement expansion of Ma'ale Adumim, violate these standards and threaten prospects for a comprehensive and lasting just peace.
Canada and allied governments, including the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union, have previously imposed targeted sanctions in response to settler violence and property destruction in the West Bank. Civil society leaders, like CJPME, have long stressed that decisive economic measures are needed now to deter larger annexation efforts.