The Media Accountability Project  

"Now, by the time these Whittington and Caddell pieces were published, Israel had in this crisis killed more than twice as many Palestinian civilians as Palestinians had killed Israeli civilians. Facts are what they are. Whittington does not reflect them when he exclusively reserves harsh adjectives (“murderous,” “terrorist”) for Palestinians, while treating the Israeli killing of Palestinians in gentler tones."

"Your article sheds light on the incongruence in Canada’s position when it comes to international law, strongly supporting Ukraine for example, while completely neglecting its principles when it comes to Israel’s egregious treatment of the Palestinians."

"While I was happy to read the bold language used in describing Israel’s occupation and its treatment of Palestinians, I’m baffled that it has taken so long for public concern in Canada to be expressed on this scale."

"I am writing to express my appreciation for the article by Neil Moss. His article provided a variety of perspectives on why PM Trudeau should be speaking out more loudly against Israel’s judicial reforms. The notion expressed by David Matas and Aurel Braun, that Israel can resolve its own internal disputes without external pressure, was not supported by the majority of those interviewed for Mr. Moss’ article."

"MPs should avoid unethical, all-expenses-paid tours with pro-Israel advocacy organizations like CIJA. If an MP decides to go anyway, they should at the very least insist on setting up additional meetings with Palestinian and Israeli human rights defenders and devote equal time and resources to this part of the itinerary. Finally, MPs must make sure to push for access to the Gaza Strip and other areas restricted by the Israeli government."

On April 5, 2023, the Hill Times published a letter from CJPME about a recent meeting between Minister Joly and her counterpart in Israel’s far-right government. The letter reads:

People around the world are openly questioning Israel’s commitment to democracy. Right-wing Israeli ministers make blatantly racist remarks about Palestinians. Human rights organizations have published detailed analyses of Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians.

Yet the Global Affairs readout on the March 16 meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen made it sound like a meeting of friends in prosperous times, cooing about “shared values.”

In fact, Joly should have refused this meeting, as Cohen is little different from his right-wing cabinet colleagues. Last year, for example, he suggested that Palestinian citizens of Israel who disagree with Israeli laws could “move to Gaza on a one-way ticket.” Hopefully, Joly doesn’t take the same attitude toward people who disagree with her government.

It’s time for Canada to question Israel’s democratic character. It’s time to forcefully condemn Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestinian territory. It’s time to denounce Israel’s apartheid policies. It’s time to withhold trade benefits and arms from Israel until it respects international legal norms.

It is time for Canada to stop providing cover for Israel and its dubious rights record and right-wing ideologies. Events of recent weeks make clear that Canada can no longer pretend that Israel is a liberal western democracy. “Business as usual” with the current Israeli government is no longer an option.

It’s time for Canada to question Israel’s democratic character.  It’s time to forcefully condemn Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestinian territory.  It’s time to denounce Israel’s apartheid policies.  It’s time to withhold trade benefits and arms from Israel until it respects international legal norms.

On March 20, 2023, the Hill Times published a letter to the editor by CJPME’s Jason Toney about the need for Canadian politicians to stop meeting with far-right Israeli figures, and for this issue to be included in broader coverage of far-right extremism.

Here is an excerpt of the edited letter:

Who politicians meet with matters. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that far-right politics are gaining a foothold in Canada. While this article mentions a recent meeting between Conservative MPs and far-right Israeli real estate developer Chaim Silverstein, this only scratches the surface of connections between Canadian officials and Israeli extremists.

In February, Trade Minister Mary Ng met with Ofir Akunis, a minister in the most far-right government in Israel’s history, and an anti-Palestinian extremist who advocates for annexing the occupied West Bank.

More recently, Senate Speaker George Furey and Senators Don Plett and Patti Laboucane-Benson met with members of Israel’s far-right government on a trip to Israel. Of particular concern was Furey’s meeting with Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana (Likud), who is on record as saying that Muslims have a “murderous culture” and that Palestinians are merely “guests” in their country.

Let’s face it: politicians need to be more discerning about with whom they rub shoulders. Far-right Israeli extremism is dangerous as it has a real-world impact on the lives and safety of Palestinians under Israel’s regime of oppression, which human rights groups describe as apartheid. Canadian officials must stop giving them a pass.

Who politicians meet with matters. It's becoming increasingly apparent that far-right politics are gaining a foothold in Canada. While this article mentions a recent meeting between Conservatives and far-right Israeli real estate developer Silberstein, this only scratches the surface of connections between Canadian officials and Israeli extremists.