February 22, 2016: Parliament votes to condemn Canadians who boycott Israel 

“We join our voices together to express our deep concern about the Opposition motion that condemns the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. We are strongly committed to democratic rights and freedoms for all Canadians […] Any attempt to criminalize, condemn, intimidate or silence peaceful and nonviolent actions of individuals and groups that support or sympathize with the BDS movement, should be rejected.” – Joint statement from Canadian civil society groups 

On this day in 2016, Canada’s parliament unfairly targeted Canadians who stand up for Palestinian rights by voting (229-51) to condemn the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and its supporters. BDS is a non-violent movement launched by Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005 to put pressure on the Israeli government to end its human rights violations. Canadian civil society organizations including the United Church of Canada, the Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE) and the Canadian Labour Congress strongly criticized the motion, saying that “any attempt to criminalize, condemn, intimidate or silence peaceful and nonviolent actions of individuals and groups that support or sympathize with the BDS movement, should be rejected.”

The heavy-handed motion was introduced by the Opposition Conservative Party and called for the House of Commons to reject the BDS movement for allegedly promoting the “demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel.” The motion also called for the Canadian government to “condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both here at home and abroad.” The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) warned that the government’s “vague” condemnation “chills public discussion both of the BDS movement and the Israeli State more broadly.”

In total, 229 Members of Parliament voted in favour of condemning the BDS movement while only 51 opposed it. While the Conservatives and most Liberals voted for the motion, MPs from the New Democrats (NDP) and Bloc Quebecois (BQ) voted against it. While few MPs defended BDS in itself, many cited the importance of free expression and the right to boycott. NDP MP Charlie Angus argued that whether MPs agree with BDS or not, “it is the role of parliamentarians to stand up for individual rights,” adding that he is “shocked” that members would vote to “condemn individuals for their right to dissent.”

Many observers noted that even though the motion did not outlaw or criminalize the BDS movement, it had the potential to create a “chilling effect” for Canadian groups seeking to speak out against the violations of Palestinian human rights under Israeli oppression, constituting an infringement of their freedom of speech. Yet, on the very same day of the vote, McGill University’s Student Society voted to adopt BDS, demonstrating that support for the BDS movement continues to grow in Canada and beyond. Over the years, organizations representing millions of Canadians have endorsed the BDS movement, including CUPE-Ontario, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the Canadian Federation of Students, Mennonite Church Canada, Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, and dozens of labour and student unions.

Read More:

House of Commons Canada Motion and Vote No. 14 

Canada ‘condemns’ Israel boycott – Middle East Eye

Canada jumps on the anti-BDS bandwagon – Al Jazeera

Parliament votes to reject Israel boycott campaign – The Globe and Mail

Canadian groups call on the government to uphold the right to dissent – International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

On the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the narrowing of acceptable speech – British Columbia Civil Liberties Association

CJPME resources: 

Who supports BDS in Canada? – CJPME BDS Hub

BDS: Informing the Parliamentary debate – CJPME Factsheet

CJPME President waits to be condemned by Trudeau government – CJPME Press Release

BDS group targeted with threats, hate after parliamentary motion – CJPME Press Release

Montreal, May 3, 2022 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes the debate within the Conservative Party of Canada over its position on Palestine and Israel, as demonstrated in recent remarks by party leadership candidate Patrick Brown. In an interview, Brown spoke out about Israeli violence against Palestinians, urged the party to take a more balanced foreign policy, and pledged that he would not move the embassy to Jerusalem. CJPME encourages all party candidates to reconsider existing party positions on this issue, and to push for a more responsible and human-rights focused foreign policy.

June 6, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is disappointed by the Conservatives’ attempt to divide and mislead with today’s opposition motion to condemn Hamas.  The motion makes a number of assertions about the current Gaza situation and Hamas which don’t stand up to scrutiny.  The statement also ignores the broader context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, one where Israel is the belligerent occupier of Palestinian territory.  CJPME believes the motion is intended to score cheap political points in Canada on the backs of dispossessed and oppressed Palestinians. 

Last year, US President Donald Trump announced he was moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, breaking decades of diplomatic neutrality regarding competing Israeli and Palestinian claims to the city. 

This year, on May 8th, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer promised that if elected, a Canadian government under his leadership would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the Canadian embassy to Jerusalem. This is offensive, appalling, illegal, and wrong.

CJPME is pleased to publish the complete elections guide analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. 

CJPME is pleased to publish the next of a 15 part election series analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. Our next analysis studies each party’s position on the Syrian refugees crisis.

CJPME is pleased to publish the next of a 15 part election series analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. Our next analysis studies each party’s position on the Syrian civil war.

CJPME is pleased to publish the next of a 15 part election series analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. Our next analysis studies each party’s position on the Palestine-Israel conflict and the negotiation process.

CJPME is pleased to publish the next of a 15 part election series analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. Our next analysis studies each party’s position on the Raif Badawi case, in the context of Canada’s $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

CJPME is pleased to publish the next of a 15 part election series analyzing the positions of Canada’s political parties. CJPME hopes that, by revealing what parties have said and done on key Middle East issues, Canadians will be better informed voters in the upcoming elections. Our next analysis studies each party’s position on the El-Sisi government coup and the mass death sentences that followed.