Montreal, March 8, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is relieved that Canada will finally resume funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, as announced this afternoon. This is a significant policy reversal for the Canadian government, following widespread pushback from civil society. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen suspended funding to UNRWA over one month ago, without seeing any evidence to back up Israel’s allegations against a few employees. However, CJPME argues that this reversal must be accompanied by a major infusion of additional aid to UNRWA, alongside serious political pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian access and end its genocidal campaign. Continue reading

Montreal, February 29, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warns that Canada’s plan to airdrop aid into Gaza is a completely inadequate response to the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, and argues that it amounts to little more than a photo op to distract from Canada’s ongoing suspension of funding to UNRWA. CJPME urges the Trudeau government to immediately restore funding to UNRWA and hold Israel’s officials responsible for the deliberate obstruction of aid to a population facing famine and genocide. Continue reading

Montreal, February 22, 2024 — In an open letter published today, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC), the Canadian Palestinian Social Association – London (CPSA) and over 75 other Canadian civil society organizations are calling on Ministers Joly, Hussen, and Miller to “Stop Genocide or Resign,” noting that Palestinians can no longer endure the policy failures of these Ministers and this Liberal government. Amid Israel’s unfolding genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the organizations claim that each of these Ministers has implemented policy decisions, possibly at the direction of the Prime Minister’s Office, that have exacerbated the crisis, causing further harm to those facing catastrophic levels of death and destruction. The organizations claim that these policy failures will continue to cost Palestinian lives on the ground, while contravening Canada’s responsibilities as a third-party state to the Genocide Convention and vis-a-vis the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures. Continue reading

Montreal, February 13, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes the NDP motion calling on the Canadian government to recognize the State of Palestine, and urges all Members of Parliament to support it. CJPME notes that Palestinian statehood is already recognized by 139 countries, and Palestine has non-member observer status at the United Nations. CJPME believes that Israel must not hold veto power over Palestinian aspirations of self-determination, and the NDP motion is a step in this direction. CJPME believes that recognition of statehood would support Palestinians in their ability to access justice in international forums like the International Criminal Court (ICC), but warns that symbolic recognition must be accompanied by concrete measures to force Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). Continue reading

Montreal, February 13, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) applauds the decision of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee to study Canada’s arms export permits to Israel. Yesterday, the committee unanimously adopted a motion brought forward by MP Heather McPherson to release documents on Canada’s military exports to Israel, going all the way back to 2006. CJPME welcomes this move as an important first step towards public transparency and accountability, as it will put scrutiny on the Canada-Israel arms trade for the first time. CJPME further demands that all compelled documents must also be made available to the public. Continue reading

Montreal, February 10, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is incensed to learn that Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has been deliberately misleading the Canadian public in claiming that Canada hasn’t sent weapons to Israel since Oct. 7, whereas new information reveals the opposite. On Feb. 7, Joly testified in a Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Meeting that there were “no weapons sent [to Israel] under my watch in recent years, and none since Oct. 7.”  She continued, “We have sent non-lethal equipment including night vision goggles and protective gear.”  Nevertheless, earlier today, The Maple released information obtained through an ATIP request that indicated that the government had indeed approved permits for an extraordinary amount of military exports, which appear to include components of offensive weapons, to Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, February 8, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling out the Canadian government for disseminating misleading information about Canada’s arms trade and humanitarian aid. Over the past week, Ministers have made irresponsible comments which obfuscate Canada’s role vis-à-vis the unfolding genocide in Gaza, including the false suggestion that Canada is not exporting weapons to Israel. First, CJPME notes that Canada continues to export military goods to Israel at record-high levels, despite comments otherwise from Minister Joly and others. Second, CJPME points out that Canada’s suspension of funding to the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) contradicts Ministers’ statements expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Continue reading

Montreal, February 6, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is expressing concern over the double standard evident in today’s sanctions announcement by Minister Joly, which imposed sanctions on 11 individuals affiliated with Hamas but no Israeli officials. CJPME notes that Canada has not yet imposed sanctions on a single Israeli, even though the number of Palestinians killed by Israel is more than 20 times the number of Israelis killed on Oct 7, and even as Israel’s actions may plausibly amount to genocide according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). CJPME urges Canada to bring some proportion to its response by imposing broad sanctions on Israeli leaders responsible for war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including (but not limited to) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Continue reading

Montreal, February 5, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling for the resignation of B.C. Minister for Post-Secondary Education Selina Robinson over several incidents that reflect a pattern of anti-Palestinian racism. Last week, remarks surfaced of Robinson using a colonial trope to refer to pre-1948 Palestine as a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it.” The same day, Robinson was criticized for political interference leading to the firing of a professor for their views on Gaza. CJPME calls on B.C. Premier David Eby to demonstrate that racism is not tolerated in the BC NDP, and take immediate action to remove Robinson from her role. Continue reading

Montreal, February 2, 2024 — One week after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found plausible evidence of genocide in Gaza, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) urges International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen to immediately reverse his decision to redirect aid funding away from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees. CJPME stresses that Canada’s additional $40m in humanitarian aid to Gaza does not compensate for the extraordinary harm that defunding UNRWA will cause, with the UN warning that such actions may cause the collapse of the humanitarian system. CJPME warns that Canada’s defunding of UNRWA may directly violate ICJ’s orders to increase humanitarian aid and prevent genocide. Continue reading