On April 21, 2021, CJPME joined Muslim, Arab, and Jewish organizations in sending a letter to the University of Toronto regarding the Cromwell Report into the mistreatment of Dr. Azarova, copied below. The letter raised concerns about the university's exposed lack of integrity, the censorship of Dr. Azarova due to her work on Israel, and the harm that this incident has caused to members of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities. The letter urges the university to take a step towards accountability by reinstating the job offer to Dr. Azarova. Continue reading

On April 15, 2021, CJPME joined the Palestinian Canadian Academics and Artists Network (PCAAN) and other civil society groups in sending a joint letter to Marc Garneau, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which urged him to take action to prevent the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, illegally occupied East Jerusalem. Click here to download the letter, which is also copied below.   Continue reading

Montreal, April 10, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) applauds the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) for adopting a bold new policy in support of sanctions against Israel. This evening at the NDP policy convention, party members passed a popular, grassroots resolution in support of a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements and an arms embargo on the State of Israel. This vote is a major win for party activists, including Palestinian and Jewish members, who have organized for years to get the NDP take action to support Palestinian human rights. A statement from the main organizers behind the resolution can be found here.  Continue reading

Montreal, April 6, 2021  — CJPME is highly concerned by a Statistics Canada publication on hate crimes in Canada which referenced claims from a non-rigorous “audit” on antisemitism by the lobby group B’nai Brith Canada. CJPME is concerned that the inclusion of B’nai Brith’s claims in a Statistics Canada publication not only gives undeserved credibility to a flawed methodology, but also inadvertently perpetuates the false notion that protesting Israel’s human rights abuses is equivalent to hate crimes and antisemitic violence. Continue reading

Montreal, March 31, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is deeply concerned about new revelations showing how a pro-Israel lobby group tried to interfere in a confidential University of Toronto hiring process. This interference seemingly sought to sabotage the hiring of a critic of Israel, according to a report released this week into the University of Toronto’s alleged mistreatment of job candidate Dr. Valentina Azarova. The Cromwell report exposes the behind-the-scenes efforts by pro-Israel actors to interfere against Dr. Azarova’s candidacy on the grounds of her scholarship critical of Israel’s occupation, although it concludes – unconvincingly – that such efforts did not play a deciding role in the UofT’s decision to cancel the hiring of Dr. Azarova. Continue reading

Montreal, March 24, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is encouraging all Members of Parliament to vote today for Private Member’s Bill C-231, “An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act (investments),” which is currently at the second reading stage. If C-231 were to be adopted, CJPME expects that these new rules guiding investment would empower Canada’s Pension Plan to withhold investments from companies operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), which are contrary to international law and violate Palestinian human rights. Continue reading

Below is a letter from CJPME to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. It urges Singh to give his support to a resolution at the upcoming NDP convention which opposes the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism. Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, February 23, 2021 — Like many Canadians, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is deeply alarmed by Israel’s actions which impede the ability of Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip to access COVID-19 vaccines. Last week, when the Palestinian Authority tried to send its first shipment of vaccines (2,000 Sputnik V doses) for medical staff in Gaza, Israel blocked its entry for days. Meanwhile, Israeli politicians debated leveraging the shipment in return for extracting political concessions. CJPME urges the Canadian government to demand an immediate end to Israel’s illegal blockading of vaccines, and demand a promise from Israel that it will no longer endanger the lives of Palestinians by playing “vaccine politics.” Continue reading

This week, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) sent letters to two social media companies, Facebook and Twitter, urging them to reject calls to adopt the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, which conflates criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism.  Continue reading

Yesterday, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) launched a campaign urging the Canadian government to cancel its 36 million dollar drone contract with Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems. Announced in December 2020, the stated purpose for this “civilian” drone is environmental surveillance in the arctic. However, Palestinian civil society and anti-war groups have raised concerns about the harmful role of Elbit Systems and its products in Israeli violations of human rights and international law in the occupied Palestinian territory. Continue reading