Montreal, April 15, 2024 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is alarmed by Canada’s response to the military escalation between Israel and Iran, and is urging the government to do everything it can to prevent the outbreak of a broader war. Following Israel’s airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, Iran retaliated over the weekend with an air attack on Israel. CJPME warns that Canada’s unconditional support for Israel, continued silence on its aggressions, and its failure to discourage Israel’s provocative attacks, may give the green light to Israel’s far-right government to pursue a catastrophic war with Iran that drags the US and Canada into full-scale confrontation with the Iranian military.

For many years, the Canadian government has opposed all efforts by Palestinians to seek justice or relief in international forums. Canada’s diplomatic record is significantly tarnished by its one-sided support for Israel, which shields Israel from criticism and upholds impunity for violations of human rights international law. In this Position Paper, CJPME outlines a strategy for Canada that emphasizes the equitable application of international law and the need for accountability.

Over the last 6 months, Palestinians and their allies in Canada have been under attack by right-wing and pro-Israel groups for standing up for Palestinian human rights and against Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. More concerning is that this anti-Palestinian rhetoric is being mirrored by elected officials and civil servants across the country. Canada has an anti-Palestinian racism problem and it’s time to stand up and say that enough is enough. Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy is due to be rereleased this spring, and it must finally address this problem. Palestinians cannot wait any longer for the government to acknowledge the systemic racism against Palestinians in Canada.

CJPME Factsheet 237, created August 2023: This factsheet introduces the right-wing extremist coalition parties of the Israeli government. It outlines their domestic policies, particularly the LGBTQ community in Israel and Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. The factsheet also explores their ideology on the issue of Palestinian self-determination and how Canada has responded to the extremist and racist policies of Israel's right-wing government.