Montreal, December 17, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is encouraged to hear that the Trudeau government is looking for ways to stop exporting armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia.  However, this news comes on the heels of last week’s passage of bill C-47, a highly flawed piece of legislation which purportedly has Canada accede to the international arms trade treaty (ATT.)  For almost two years, CJPME, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Project Ploughshares, the Rideau Institute, and other civil society organizations criticized bill C-47 as falling short of the letter and spirit of the ATT.  Yet when C-47 got Royal Consent last week, the concerns of civil society had been virtually ignored.  Continue reading

Montreal, November 30th, 2018 — Yesterday, Statistics Canada (StatCan) released the police-reported hate crime statistics for 2017, revealing a 47% increase in hate crimes in Canada, especially those targeting Muslim, Jewish and Black populations. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is deeply concerned by the dramatic increase in hate crimes in Canada, which confirms the urgent need for the government to take concrete action against Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination. While StatCan recorded an increase in hate crimes across all categories of religion, StatCan notes that Muslims specifically experienced the highest increase in hate crimes, with the number more than doubling in 2017.  CJPME calls on the government to take immediate action to address this phenomenon by adopting January 29th as a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. Continue reading

Montreal, November 8th, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is surprised and disappointed by Prime Minister Trudeau’s smear on Canadians who support the peaceful boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel – known as BDS. Yesterday, PM Trudeau stood up in the House of Commons to apologize for Canada’s rejection of the hundreds of Jewish refugees in the MS St. Louis who were turned away by Canada in 1939, many of whom would be subsequently killed in the Holocaust. While delivering this long overdue apology, Trudeau shifted the conversation to condemn Canadians who support BDS and legitimate criticism of Israel. CJPME rejects Trudeau’s suggestion that of criticism of Israel is in any way related to the despicable anti-Semitism experienced by Jews in Canada. Continue reading

Montreal, November 2, 2018  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on the Canadian government to amend the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Bill C-85). This Bill, introduced in the House of Commons early last week, seeks to modernize the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). Canadians expect their government to implement trade deals that are in line with Canadian foreign policy and commitments to human rights and international law. CJPME believes that Bill C-85 does not conform to these expectations, and must be amended to do so. Continue reading

Montreal, October 29, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is saddened and dismayed by the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA over the weekend which killed 11 and injured 9.  CJPME expresses its deepest sympathy and solidarity with members of the American and Canadian Jewish communities following this heinous act, and calls for politicians on both sides of the border to do more to address the religious discrimination and bigoted attitudes that exist in both American and Canadian society.  Continue reading

Montreal, October 25, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on Canada to end, once and for all, its arms trade with Saudi Arabia.  The brazen murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi authorities in Istanbul further highlights the brazen and repressive attitude of the Saudi leadership.  CJPME believes that Saudi Arabia’s authoritarian and oppressive practices have, for far too long, betrayed Canada’s purported support for human rights and international law.  Learning that Canada faces a penalty of $1 billion if it suspends the arms deal is just one more sign that the paradoxical sale should be terminated.  Continue reading

Montreal, October 15th, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) applauds the Trudeau government’s decision to expand funding to the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Last Friday, Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau announced that Canada will provide $50 million in multi-year funding to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA, as well as $12.5 million to Right to Play International. While CJPME believes this is a healthy step toward bridging a funding gap for Palestinian refugees, Canada must work seriously toward a long-term solution for Palestinian refugees. Continue reading

Montreal, September 28, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is concerned about a double-standard around the Israel-Palestine conflict that seems all too common in Canadian politics.  Notably, many Canadian politicians seem foremost interested in vilifying individuals and organizations that criticize the Israeli government and its policies rather than having an honest debate about Canada-Israel relations. Continue reading

Montreal, October 1st, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on the Canadian government to take concrete action to renew its commitment to the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Late last week, the Vice-President of the European Union and several Foreign Ministers hosted a meeting in New York in response to the Trump administration’s cancellation of key funds to UNRWA. Thirty-four UN member-states and organizations were in attendance, raising $122 million in funds for the organization. Canada was notably absent from this meeting. Continue reading

Montreal, September 2, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) opposes US President Donald Trump’s decision to cease all funding to the UN aid agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).  The Trump administration declared Friday that it was cutting all funding to UNRWA, calling the organization an “irredeemably flawed operation,” and seeking to reduce the number of Palestinians recognized as “refugees” under the UN system.  Nevertheless, CJPME points out that it is the UN which defines which individuals are considered refugees, and that UNRWA adheres to international norms in defining the population of Palestinian refugees that it serves.  “This is a sad ploy by Trump to further disempower Palestinians, to the political advantage of the US’ ally Israel,” declared Thomas Woodley, president of CJPME. Continue reading