On October 16, 2023, the Canadian government appointed Deborah Lyons, former Ambassador of Canada to Israel (2016-2020), as the new Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. The Special Envoy Lyon's office is a joint unit of both Canadian Heritage and Global Affairs Canada, bringing her role into the realm of international relations (whereas the Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia is singularly located in Canadian Heritage). 

Montreal, October 17, 2022 - CJPME sent a letter to Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, with concerns about the possibility that Canada Heritage may force third-party grantees to sign an attestation form in support of IHRA in order to receive government funding. This poses a serious threat to free expression and may amount to a violation of charter rights. Read the full letter below, or click here to download a PDF version.

Montreal, September 12th, 2022 - Below is a letter to the YRDSB Board of Trustees urging them to reject the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. On September 13, the YRDSB Board voted overwhelmingly to postpone the vote indefinitely.
Click here to download the PDF version. 

Montreal, November 26, 2021  — The Palestinian-Canadian Academics and Artists Network (PCAAN) applauds CAUT’s resolution opposing the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism (IHRA WDA) at Canadian universities and colleges.

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.

In this episode, Tom and Michael talk about the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) controversial definition of antisemitism. Many critics say that IHRA unfairly conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. How broadly has the IHRA definition been adopted in Canada, and what are some of the legitimate concerns about its adoption? What are the implications of IHRA for the Palestinian solidarity movement in Canada, and how are people pushing back?

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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.

Montreal, June 11, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) opposes Quebec's unilateral adoption of the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, which conflates antisemitism with criticism of Israel and therefore poses a threat to free speech on issues related to Israel's human rights abuses. On June 9, the Quebec government announced that it was unilaterally adopting IHRA. This decision was taken without public input or debate, just days after a motion in the National Assembly to endorse IHRA was blocked by Québec solidaire.

Montreal, June 4, 2021 - Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the Canada Palestine Foundation of Quebec (CPFQ) and Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) congratulate Québec Solidaire for rejecting a non-binding motion in Quebec’s National Assembly this morning which would have adopted language from the dangerously-flawed and widely-rejected International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. In rejecting this motion, Québec Solidaire is the only party in the National Assembly to have taken a firm position both against antisemitism and against the silencing of Palestinian voices.

Below is a letter from CJPME to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. It urges Singh to give his support to a resolution at the upcoming NDP convention which opposes the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism. Click here to download a PDF of the letter.