Montreal, November 26, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) congratulates the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) for standing up for academic freedom on Palestine by opposing the controversial IHRA working definition of antisemitism. A resolution adopted unanimously by delegates at the CAUT’s Council Meeting takes a firm position against the IHRA definition, which conflates criticism and protest of Israel with antisemitism and is therefore widely understood as a threat to academic freedom. CAUT represents more than 70,000 faculty and academic staff in Canada. Continue reading

Montreal, November 9, 2021  — Legislators from Europe and North America came together recently to discuss the alarming recent threats to Palestinian civil society by the Israeli government, as well as initiatives that governments can take to ensure that public funding is not contributing to Israeli violations of human rights. Continue reading

Montreal, November 4, 2021  — CJPME is pleased to provide its metro Montreal supporters with an overview of key issues in advance of this weekend’s Montreal municipal elections. Montreal mayoral candidates answered questions from CJPME on IHRA and free speech on Palestine, religious discrimination, anti-Arab racism, human rights, and more. Continue reading

Montreal, October 30, 2021  — CJPME joins 234 organizations in calling on the international community to protect Palestinian civil society, and to condemn Israel's "terrorist" designation of six leading Palestinian human rights organizations as a wrongful act. Read the joint statement below. Continue reading

Montreal, October 28, 2021  — A survey of Canadian opinion conducted by EKOS Research Associates reveals a disturbing problem of racist attitudes toward Arabs in Canada. The survey found that Canadians hold more negative views towards immigration from Arab countries, compared to immigration in general, and that Canadians hold negative stereotypes about Arabs and Arab society. At the same time, the survey shows that Canadians acknowledge anti-Arab racism to be a problem, are generally opposed to racial profiling of Arabs, and recognize that various barriers can negatively affect the ability of Arab-Canadians to secure employment. Finally, the survey results show that Canadians hold Arabs less responsible than Israel for prolonging the “Arab-Israeli conflict,” and support proactive measures to hold Israel accountable. Continue reading

Montreal, October 22, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is expressing serious alarm following a major Israeli assault against Palestinian civil society. Israel’s Minister of Defense Benny Gantz today declared six respected and credible Palestinian organizations – several of them human rights organizations - to be “terrorist organisations,” in a clear attempt to shut down their activities. CJPME warns that this designation is likely to have catastrophic financial, legal, and reputational consequences for these vulnerable organizations, putting the work and safety of their employees at risk. Continue reading

Montreal, October 21, 2021 – CJPME is pleased to announce that its small claims court lawsuit with Ezra Levant and Rebel Media News Network Ltd. has been settled. Launched in early 2021, CJPME’s suit was based on Rebel Media’s failure to promptly comply with the terms of a previous settlement between the two parties, reached in February 2020. Continue reading

Montreal, October 8, 2021  — Below is a letter from CJPME to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The letter raises concerns over how supporters of Palestinian rights have been mistreated by the TDSB, while pro-Israel lobby groups have been given an opportunity to shape curriculum. Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Continue reading

Montreal, September 30, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is extremely concerned about a pattern of anti-Palestinian racism in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) after a series of instances in which the board has reprimanded or disavowed voices who spoke about Palestinian human rights. Most recently, the board apologized for causing “harm” after journalist and activist Desmond Cole spoke about Palestinian rights during an event about anti-Black racism. CJPME is also deeply troubled that TDSB intends to hire a pro-Israel lobby group - with a history of trying to silence academic critics of Israel - to design classroom resources on “anti-Palestinian and anti-Israel sentiments.” Continue reading

Montreal, September 8, 2021  — This week, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) issued its “Vote 2021 Elections Guide,” evaluating the record and promises of the five largest federal parties on Palestine-Israel and other Middle East issues. The guide evaluates the parties on ten different Middle East issues according to a number of different criteria, including 1) their support for international law; 2) their consistent application of international law; 3) their eschewal of armed violence; 4) their humanitarian concern; 5) their support for representative governance; and 6) their sense of urgency in responding to crises. Continue reading