CJPME Political Blog, Nov. 10, 2016: Last week, the Vancouver Sun printed a remarkable apology to Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada.   The Sun editorial board had published a piece in August claiming that IJV – a Jewish organization – had denied the Holocaust and encouraged terrorism against Israelis.  The only problem was, they were dead wrong.

Montreal, May 3, 2016  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) joined with other important community organizations signing an open letter applauding the success of York University President Mamdouh Shoukri at creating an inclusive and respectful environment for York students.  The organizations addressed the letter to York U. President Shoukri, and thanked him for the meaningful and effective ways he had dealt with various controversies at York U.      

Toronto City Council will meet on June 14 to make a final decision about whether or not to adopt a report that has determined that the use of the term “Israeli apartheid” does not violate the City’s Anti-Discrimination Policy. The Council’s decision has profound implications for freedom of expression in Toronto.

CJPME Factsheet 127, published May, 2011: This factsheet looks at the sudden decision by the Canadian government to defund KAIROS, a Canadian non- governmental organization (NGO). The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has financially supported KAIROS since 1976, but on November 30^th 2009, KAIROS was informed that its four-year (2009-2013) funding request had been denied. In addition to the government’s false allegations against KAIROS at the time of the defunding, several ethical issues were uncovered in the subsequent year.

CJPME Factsheet 77, published April, 2010: This factsheet looks into the so-called Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA), a temporary body created by a number of pro-Israel organizations in Canada.  The CPCCA’s mandate was defined in a manner which predisposed it to conclude that there has been a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism in Canada and that political action against Israel contributes to anti-Semitism. This factsheet examines the methods and conclusions of this controversial body.

CJPME Factsheet 79, published April, 2010: This factsheet looks at how freedom of expression is protected in Canada, as well as what constitutes hate speech and what laws pertain to it in Canada, particularly Section 318 and Section 319 of the Canadian Criminal Code. This factsheet also addresses the question of whether criticism of Israel can be equated with hate speech.

CJPME Factsheet 56, published March, 2009: This factsheet provides an overview of the 2009 Conference against Racism, Durban II. During the 2001 Durban I conference, the U.S. and Israel walked out over a draft resolution which likened Zionism to racism, as had UN Resolution 3379, which was eventually revoked as a condition for Israel’s participation in the US-backed peace process. In 2008, Canada withdrew from Durban II, strengthening its close ties with Israel while also labeling any criticism of Israel as inherently anti-Semitic or racist.