Montreal, May 7, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Canadian government to urgently pressure Israel to bring an immediate end to its invasion of Rafah, a move which threatens to push the civilian population of Gaza further into genocide. Although Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has repeatedly expressed “concern” about the impact of a Rafah invasion, Canada has not committed to any action that could stop this catastrophe, despite credible assessments by international legal experts that Israel’s actions in Gaza already amount to genocide. CJPME believes that Canada must urgently impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel and publicly call on Biden to do the same in the United States. Continue reading

Montreal, May 7, 2024 — Canadian civil society organizations across multiple sectors are escalating their push to end Canada’s trade in military and security technology with Israel. In a joint statement issued today for an “Arms Embargo Now,” Palestinian associations, labour unions, human rights organizations, and community groups representing more than 2 million people across Canada are calling on the Canadian government to utilize new and powerful tools to definitively end military trade with Israel, including immediately implementing an official arms embargo using Canada’s Special Economic Measures Act. Continue reading

Montreal, May 6, 2024 — Canadian human rights organizations today issued recommendations for Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to ensure that the federal government is effectively addressing both anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism. Canadian Heritage’s updated Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy is expected to be published this spring. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association (ACLA), the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC), and Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) are calling for these materials to include anti-Palestinian racism, which has drastically intensified in the last few months. Continue reading

Montreal, May 1, 2024 - CJPME has sent a letter to Ministers Champagne and Holland urging that Canada introduce support for Palestinian academics and recommend an academic boycott of Israel, directly modelled on Canada's March 2022 guidelines in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to download the full letter as a PDF Continue reading

Montreal, April 30, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging McGill University to respond to the student encampment by respecting their demands, and divesting from companies that are complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. After only a few days of peaceful protest, CJPME is alarmed by the administration’s threats to dispel the students through force, which could result in a violent police crackdown and mass arrests. CJPME believes that the students’ demands reflect international legal and ethical imperatives that should be respected by the University. Continue reading

Montreal, April 18, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes today’s introduction of official Parliamentary Petition e-4745, which calls for a two-way arms embargo on Israel and was sponsored by NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson. With 82,248 signatures, it is the 9th most popular e-petition in the history of Parliament. CJPME urges the Canadian government to finally listen to Canadians and immediately impose an arms embargo on all military trade with Israel using the Special Economic Measures Act. Continue reading

Montreal, April 15, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is alarmed by Canada’s response to the military escalation between Israel and Iran, and is urging the government to do everything it can to prevent the outbreak of a broader war. Following Israel’s airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, Iran retaliated over the weekend with an air attack on Israel. CJPME warns that Canada’s unconditional support for Israel, continued silence on its aggressions, and its failure to discourage Israel’s provocative attacks, may give the green light to Israel’s far-right government to pursue a catastrophic war with Iran that drags the US and Canada into full-scale confrontation with the Iranian military. Continue reading

Montreal, April 4, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Canadian government to cancel all contracts for the purchase of Israeli weapons used in the targeted killing of a Canadian aid worker in Gaza. 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger was killed alongside 6 international and Palestinian volunteers with World Central Kitchen in a series of Israeli airstrikes on their aid convoy. An Elbit Systems Hermes drone and Rafael Spike missiles were reportedly used in the attack, and very similar models have been purchased by Canada in the last few years, valued at almost $80M. CJPME calls on the Canadian government to immediately cancel its weapons contracts with these Israeli companies and impose a full, two-way embargo on military trade with Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, April 3, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to fully respect the intent of the Palestine motion adopted by Parliament on March 18 and impose a comprehensive embargo on all arms exports to Israel. While Joly has indicated that she is planning on enacting parts of the motion, she has said that any ban on arms exports will exclude trade under existing arms export permits, a massive loophole that contradicts the plain language understanding of the March 18 motion. CJPME reminds Joly that Parliament voted for a comprehensive end to arms transfers, and insists that she cancel all existing permits for weapons to Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, April 2, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s targeted attack on an aid convoy in Gaza which killed a Canadian-US dual national. The aid worker was killed alongside 6 international and Palestinian volunteers with World Central Kitchen in a series of Israeli airstrikes on their aid convoy. The identity of the Canadian has not yet been publicly identified. CJPME calls on the Canadian government to ensure swift consequences for this criminal act. Continue reading