Montreal, September 8, 2026  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes today’s announcement by the Canadian government that it intends to impose restrictions on trade with illegal Israeli settlements. While this policy promises to be a major step forward, CJPME will be looking to ensure that the coming policy will not be limited to imported goods but will also apply to trade with services,  investment, and property. 

“This is a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement and everyone who wants Canadian trade policy to uphold human rights and international law,” said Yara Shoufani, President of CJPME. “For years, we have warned that Canada has been facilitating the illicit trade with Israeli settlement businesses, even extending them economic benefits through the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. This announcement marks the first time that Israel will face material, economic consequences for its blatant violations of international law.”

This announcement was coordinated alongside 11 European countries and follows years of advocacy from the Palestine solidarity movement and human rights experts, who have called for an end to all trade with settlements in occupied Palestine. In the joint statement, Canada congratulated the recent bans on trade with settlements adopted by countries including Ireland, Spain, and Norway, and “pledged to bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.” However, CJPME argues that the policy will be significantly limited if it does not also apply to other forms of economic activity, including finance and investment, real estate, and charitable donations, as goods are only a small part of the settlement economy. 

“Amidst a sharp increase in Israeli settlement expansion and violent settler attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, this is a critical moment for Canada to take global leadership by imposing the most effective measures possible against Israel’s entire illegal settler enterprise. Now is the time for concrete and enforceable action to stop Canada-Israeli settlement trade in its tracks, and ensure that Israel is unable to continue to violate international law with impunity.”

CJPME will be issuing a report later this week on Canada’s trade with Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, which will outline the necessary measures that Canada must take to align with international law.