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

Montreal, May 4, 2022 - Below is a letter from CJPME to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly challenging Canada's insufficient response to Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan. The letter urges Joly to condemn the attacks, noting: "It is not too late to take a principle stand against Israeli attacks, so that these egregious acts are not repeated in the future." Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, May 3, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes the debate within the Conservative Party of Canada over its position on Palestine and Israel, as demonstrated in recent remarks by party leadership candidate Patrick Brown. In an interview, Brown spoke out about Israeli violence against Palestinians, urged the party to take a more balanced foreign policy, and pledged that he would not move the embassy to Jerusalem. CJPME encourages all party candidates to reconsider existing party positions on this issue, and to push for a more responsible and human-rights focused foreign policy. Continue reading

Montreal, April 20, 2022  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging the Canadian government to condemn Israeli violence following a series of repeated raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend. On Friday alone, Israeli forces injured at least 153 Palestinians, and videos have emerged showing the use of brutal violence against journalists and medics.  Yet in her response to the incident, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly failed to directly criticize Israeli actions. More than 5,000 Canadians have written to Prime Minister Trudeau, urging him to respond by condemning Israeli violence and suspending military trade. Continue reading

Montreal, April 13, 2022  — A new report published today by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) raises serious human rights concerns posed by Canada’s arms exports to Israel. The report, titled Arming Apartheid: Canada’s Arms Exports to Israel, finds that Canada’s arms exports to Israel have been accelerating in recent years – reaching a 30-year high in 2020.  A significant percentage of Canada's arms exports to Israel are categorized as explosives and related components, and could include bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, or other explosive devices. The report argues that Israel’s occupation, violence against civilians, and discriminatory policies – recently named as "apartheid" by Amnesty International – present a situation of extreme risk in which Canada’s arms exports could be implicated in violations of human rights and international law. Continue reading

On March 24, 2022, CJPME joined 89 Palestinian and international organizations in issuing a joint oral intervention to the UN Human Rights Council, welcoming the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Israeli apartheid. The intervention was delivered by Elizabeth Rghebi of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). You can watch the video (starts at 01:18:54), or read the full statement below. You can also read CJPME's separate press release here. Continue reading