Canada’s arms exports to Israel increased by 33% in 2021, amid Gaza bombing
Montreal, May 31, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is alarmed to learn that Canada’s military exports to Israel increased by 33% in 2021, amid Israel’s 11-day bombing campaign against the occupied Gaza Strip. According to Canada’s newly released annual report on military exports, Canada exported $26,092,288 in military goods to Israel in 2021; up from $19,583,838* in 2020 and approaching the historical high-water mark of $26,893,255* in 1987. This puts Israel in 10th place among Canada’s top twelve non-U.S. destinations for military exports. CJPME calls on Canada to put an immediate halt to this worrying trend by immediately suspending all military trade with Israel.
Canada must condemn Israeli violence at Al-Aqsa
Montreal, April 20, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is urging the Canadian government to condemn Israeli violence following a series of repeated raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend. On Friday alone, Israeli forces injured at least 153 Palestinians, and videos have emerged showing the use of brutal violence against journalists and medics. Yet in her response to the incident, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly failed to directly criticize Israeli actions. More than 5,000 Canadians have written to Prime Minister Trudeau, urging him to respond by condemning Israeli violence and suspending military trade.
CJPME Analysis: Canada’s arms exports to Israel at a 30-year high
Montreal, April 13, 2022 — A new report published today by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) raises serious human rights concerns posed by Canada’s arms exports to Israel. The report, titled Arming Apartheid: Canada’s Arms Exports to Israel, finds that Canada’s arms exports to Israel have been accelerating in recent years – reaching a 30-year high in 2020. A significant percentage of Canada's arms exports to Israel are categorized as explosives and related components, and could include bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, or other explosive devices. The report argues that Israel’s occupation, violence against civilians, and discriminatory policies – recently named as "apartheid" by Amnesty International – present a situation of extreme risk in which Canada’s arms exports could be implicated in violations of human rights and international law.