Montreal, September 23, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is alarmed by recent actions of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law that amount to censorship of critical scholarship about Israel. The university has been widely criticized for allegedly rescinding a job offer to human rights professor Valentina Azarova after a sitting judge on the Tax Court of Canada — and a major donor to the faculty — complained about Azarova’s scholarship on the Israeli occupation of Palestine. According to the Globe and Mail, the judge who intervened is Justice David Spiro, a former board member of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. The position that Azarova was denied was director of the law school’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP). Continue reading

Montreal, September 16, 2020  — Amid growing controversy over a possible ICC investigation into Israel, newly published results from a survey conducted by EKOS Research Associates show that Canadians do not want Israel to be treated differently than other countries when it comes to consequences for alleged war crimes or human rights violations. The survey found that Canadians support an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of any country accused of war crimes, including Israel, and they do not want Canada to overlook Israel’s human rights violations. The survey further found that Canadians do not support recognizing Jerusalem as exclusively Israel’s capital. Continue reading

Montréal, September 10, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) reiterates its call for the cancellation of Canada’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This renewed call comes in light of a recent UN report which highlights the role of Canadian weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia in perpetuating its devastating war on Yemen. According to a panel of expert UN investigators, Canada's arms transfers to Saudi Arabia are "helping to perpetuate the conflict" in Yemen, which has been characterized by “disproportionate attacks” which may constitute war crimes. The report included a call for all states to “stop transferring arms to the parties to the conflict.” Continue reading

Montreal, August 20, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) have conducted a comprehensive analysis of each of the nine Green Party of Canada (GPC) leadership candidates on Middle East-related issues, awarding Dimitri Lascaris the best score with an A rating. Meryam Haddad was next with an A-, followed by Judy Green and Amita Kuttner each with a B+. At the bottom of the ranking were Glen Murray with a C and Annamie Paul with a C-.   Continue reading

Montreal, August 13, 2020  — In light of today’s normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warns that the threat of Israeli annexation remains as urgent as ever. A widely reported statement published today by the United States claims that Israel “will suspend” its annexation plans in exchange for normalization with the UAE. However, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that Israel remains committed to annexation, and that “The Trump administration asked to temporarily suspend the announcement [of annexation] in order to first implement the historic peace agreement with the UAE.” Continue reading

**Update: Later on August 10, Prime Minister Trudeau announced greater humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, including a new expanded maximum of $5 million on matching donations through the Lebanon Matching Fund, as well as an additional $25 million.** Montreal, August 10, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging the Canadian government to increase its humanitarian support to Lebanon by removing the $2 million cap on matching donations through the Lebanon Matching Fund. Continue reading

Montreal, July 7, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) in partnership with other groups has published a list of Canadian politicians representing 57 Members of Parliament who have signed a Pledge to oppose Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian territory in the West Bank. By signing the Pledge, these MPs have committed to pushing the Canadian government to “show meaningful opposition” to annexation, and “to consider all reasonable diplomatic and economic options to stop annexation and prompt Israeli compliance with international law.” Continue reading

Montreal, June 17, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) believes that Canada’s defeat in its campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) proves that Canada’s failure to demonstrate leadership on human rights and international cooperation has isolated it from world opinion. Canada lost in the first ballot to both Norway (population 5.3 million) and Ireland (population 4.9 million). CJPME suggests that Canadian foreign policy must be critically re-examined if Canada wants to improve its international reputation and be a viable UNSC candidate in the future. Continue reading

Montreal, June 16, 2020  — As Canada’s candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) comes to a vote tomorrow, a new survey conducted by EKOS Research Associates reveals that Canadians want more from their government on foreign policy. The survey found that three out of four Canadians want their government to oppose Israel’s annexation of large parts of the West Bank, while almost half support the use of sanctions. It further shows that Canadians support increasing international contributions in several specific areas where Canada lags behind its competitors, including peacekeeping, combatting climate change, and support for Palestinian human rights. Continue reading

Montreal, June 11, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) believes that Canada’s bid for a UN Security Council (UNSC) seat has been badly shaken by an influential Canadian grassroots campaign. CJPME obtained a letter from Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, addressed to all UN Member and Observer States and signed June 10, 2020, which seeks to defend Canada’s record on Israel and Palestine. Canada’s letter is a direct response to the campaign “Canada does not deserve a seat on the UN Security Council,” which is supported by hundreds of organizations and prominent individuals calling UN member states to vote against Canada’s candidacy for the UNSC seat.  Continue reading