Montreal, August 18, 2022 - Below is a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Mélanie Joly, urging her to take action and condemn Israel's latest attack on six leading Palestinian NGOs, whose offices were raided and shut down early this morning. Click here to download the PDF version.  Continue reading

Montreal, August 8, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is demanding that the Canadian government holds Israeli officials accountable for its unprovoked and aggressive war against Gaza this weekend, which killed at least 44 Palestinians. Canada has not commented on Israel’s actions except to support Israel’s right to security, ignoring Israel’s pattern of deliberately targeting civilians in airstrikes – in what clearly amount to war crimes. CJPME urges Canada to end Israel’s impunity and deter future violence, including by ending military trade with Israel. Continue reading

Montreal, August 4, 2022 - Below is a letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino urging him to reject a recommendation in the Standing Committee report on "Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism" which seems to target legitimate human rights work and Palestine activism. Click here to download PDF version of the letter. UPDATE NOVEMBER 24, 2022: CJPME is pleased that the government has decided not to endorse the report's Recommendation 20. Following the publication of the above letter, CJPME and Independent Jewish Voices Canada met with Parliamentary Secretary Pam Damoff to discuss our concerns. CJPME later received a letter from Public Safety which noted our concerns over the "potential impacts of this recommendation on legitimate criticism of the State of Israel," and said that "the considerations you raised regarding the possible effects of fully accepting this recommendation were taken into account." Along those lines, the government's response to the report only "takes note" of  Recommendation 20, declining to express agreement with it or take further action. Continue reading

Montreal, June 29, 2022- Below is a letter to Eric Reguly, thanking him for publishing the “Gaza’s young people have known nothing but a blockade for 15 years. Palestinians share their stories of endurance.” article in the Globe and Mail. Despite criticism, Eric Reguly displayed acts of journalist integrity by speaking on Israel's 15-year blockade on Gaza. Click here to download PDF version of the letter.  Continue reading

Montreal, June 29, 2022- Below is a letter to Bob Rae in response to his article published in the Globe and Mail, “Canada has a choice to make in how it responds to a global refugee crisis." The article spoke on Canada’s responsibilities with the global refugee crisis, however, reflected serious biases against the Palestinian refugees. Click here to download the PDF version.  Continue reading

Montreal, June 28, 2022- Below is a letter from CJPME to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to follow up on his commitment to providing Canadian medical treatment to 100 Palestinian children from Gaza, as promised to Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish in 2014. Click here to download PDF version of the letter.  Continue reading

Update, June 23, 2022 — Canada's Special Envoy Irwin Cotler will not be participating in the conference at Ariel University, according to a statement by the Chief Representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada, who had raised this issue with the government.  Continue reading

Montreal, June 15, 2022 - Below is a letter from CJPME to Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Mélanie Joly addressing the recent report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded that Israel intends to deepen its control over occupied Palestinian territory. Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, June 15, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling on the Canadian government to demand the release of persecuted Gaza aid worker Mohammed El Halabi, following his outrageous conviction by an Israeli court after six years of detention, on charges which have been discredited. CJPME urges Canada to take immediately action to secure El Halabi’s freedom. Continue reading

Montreal, June 14, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) congratulates the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) for endorsing a series of measures in support of Palestinian human rights, including sanctions on Israel. A resolution adopted by the OFL and published today in a statement on international solidarity calls for an end to Canadian arms sales to Israel, a ban on goods from illegal Israel settlements, and divestment from Israeli military companies. Another resolution adopted by the OFL upholds free speech on Palestine by rejecting the discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism, which equates legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. The OFL is Canada’s largest labour federation, representing more than 1,500 locals from 54 affiliated unions. Continue reading