Montreal, May 31, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is alarmed to learn that Canada’s military exports to Israel increased by 33% in 2021, amid Israel’s 11-day bombing campaign against the occupied Gaza Strip. According to Canada’s newly released annual report on military exports, Canada exported $26,092,288 in military goods to Israel in 2021; up from $19,583,838* in 2020 and approaching the historical high-water mark of $26,893,255* in 1987. This puts Israel in 10th place among Canada’s top twelve non-U.S. destinations for military exports. CJPME calls on Canada to put an immediate halt to this worrying trend by immediately suspending all military trade with Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, May 27, 2022 - Below is a letter from CJPME to Minister of Health Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos addressing Canada's double standard at the World Health Assembly. "Canada should condemn Israeli attacks on health care, just as it would condemn the same behaviour by any other state." Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, May 20, 2022 - Below is a letter from CJPME to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urging Canada to support an independent, international investigation into Israel's killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, May 19, 2022 — Legislators from Europe and North America issued a joint statement today calling for a coordinated international response to the deteriorating human rights situation facing the Palestinian people, following the publication of reports by Amnesty International and United Nations Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk which concluded that Israel’s practices against the Palestinians amount to “apartheid.”  Continue reading

Montreal, May 19, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) today joins 37 organizations in launching a global campaign against the increasing repression of civic liberties and human rights in Algeria. Below is the joint letter. Continue reading

Montreal, May 18, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes a ground-breaking new report on anti-Palestinian racism which was published this month by the Arab-Canadian Lawyers Association (ACLA). Based on extensive community consultation, the ACLA report provides, for the first time, a working description of anti-Palestinian racism which can be used as a starting point towards identifying and challenging its manifestations throughout Canadian society. The report discusses anti-Palestinian racism as a “distinct” form of racism which impacts Palestinians and non-Palestinians, and which “aims to censor and erase Palestinians and their narratives from the public sphere.” Continue reading

Montreal, May 16, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes a new ruling by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirming that “Product of Israel” labels on wine from illegal Israeli settlements are “false,” and that they therefore violate Canadian consumer protection law. This outcome follows a multiple-year legal battle led by David Kattenburg and Dimitri Lascaris, after an original CFIA determination against the labels in 2017 was overturned in an act of political interference by the Canadian government. CJPME urges the Canadian agency to take action against the unlawful products, and for Parliament to move towards ending all trade with illegal settlements. Continue reading

Montreal, May 13, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Canadian government to condemn Israel over today’s attack on the funeral procession for Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist who was murdered by Israeli forces this week. During a funeral procession through occupied East Jerusalem today, Israeli forces invaded a hospital ground and attacked worshippers and pallbearers using batons and stun grenades, nearly causing the casket to fall to the ground. CJPME argues that Israel’s willingness to attack funeral mourners further demonstrates the need for an independent and international investigation that can hold Israeli officials accountable. Continue reading

Montreal, May 11, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls for an independent and international investigation into the killing of veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot in the head today by Israeli snipers while covering an Israeli raid in the Palestinian city of Jenin. Reports from journalists who were with Akleh on the ground said that they were deliberately targeted by Israeli snipers, despite wearing press vests and helmets, and Al Jazeera asserts that Akleh was “assassinated in cold blood.” CJPME urges Canada to refer this case to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and to respond to violence against journalists by suspending all military trade with Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, May 5, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging the Canadian government to take immediate action to protect the rights of more than 1,000 Palestinians in 8 villages in the West Bank area of Masafer Yatta, following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling which gives a green light to their imminent forcible transfer. While the forcible transfer of a civilian population is clearly prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel’s Supreme Court sets the stage for one of the largest expulsions of Palestinians since the start of the occupation in 1967. CJPME demands Canada protect Palestinians against the threat of ethnic cleansing by imposing sanctions against Israeli officials and referring the matter to the International Criminal Court. Continue reading