Montreal, January 31, 2017  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on the Canadian government to condemn Israel’s recent statements announcing its intention to expand its illegal settlements in Palestinian territory.  In the week ending Friday, Jan. 27^th, Israel made three separate settlement expansion announcements, yet Canada remained unresponsive.  “Not only are such announcements contrary to international law,” declared Thomas Woodley, President of CJPME, “But such belligerent moves also contradict long-standing Canadian policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict.”  

CJPME Political Blog, January 6th, 2017: 

Friday’s UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution censuring Israel will not resurrect dead Palestinians or Israelis from wars past, nor will it change the near-term prospect for peace.  But despite cynical criticism from the left, the UNSC resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements (a.k.a. colonies) is still very significant.  

Montreal, Nov. 29, 2015 – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) asserts that several of Canada’s recent votes at the United Nations (UN) are entirely unrepresentative of the position of the majority of Canadians. In annual votes concerning Israel, Palestine and related issues, the Liberal government continued a disturbing trend established by the previous Harper government of supporting untenable Israeli positions in the face of overwhelming international opposition. On six resolutions, Canada joined Israel, the US and four tiny Pacific island nations in extremely lopsided losses (details below.) 

Montreal, November 29, 2012  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East is delighted that the UN General Assembly has granted Palestine “observer state” status at the UN. The vote represents a significant step forward for the international recognition and self-determination of the Palestinian people.  While the vote does not confer full member-state status for Palestine, it will give the Palestinians access to several new legal and diplomatic tools by which they can further their aspirations for full statehood.  

CJPME Factsheet 124, published November, 2011: This factsheet provides an analysis of the possibilities, consequences and benefits of a Palestinian bid for UN membership. As a UN member state, Palestinians would be allowed to request the formal protections afforded to a country under the UN and under international law. Should Israel persists in occupying Palestinian land or blockading Gaza after an “independent Palestinian state” becomes a UN member, Israel will be violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a recognized UN member state. Ultimately, UN membership entails Palestinians would no longer suffer the indignity of being stateless.

CJPME Factsheet 60, published May, 2009: This factsheet looks at arrangements under which American Forces have been operating in Iraq, such as the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), which guarantees a US withdrawal from Iraq by 2011, and sets the legal status of US troops and US contractor, as well as that of detainees. This factsheet also looks at the challenges that lie ahead in a post-SOFA Iraq.