On July 9, 2024, UNJPPI wrote a letter to The Honourable Mary Ng, P.C., M.P. Minister of Export Promotion, International  Trade and Economic Development, saying “It is Time to Terminate Canada’s Free Trade Agreement with Israel”

Excerpt:

… We thank the Canadian government for Honourable Mélanie Joly’s June 27th announcement imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Extremist Settler Violence) Regulations. As stated in the announcement, the new sanctions are against seven individuals and five entities for their role in facilitating, supporting or financially contributing to acts of violence by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians and their property. This is a step in the right direction. However, we respectfully suggest the new sanctions do not go far enough. Recent decisions by the Israeli government and individual ministers of the government suggest that the actions of the sanctioned individuals and entities are condoned or even supported by the Israeli government.

The acts of violence by Israeli extremist settlers are often intended to force Palestinians off their lands. What then follows – often quickly and sometimes more slowly – is the creation of an illegal outpost. If the conduct were not condoned by the Israeli government, it would either act to prevent such outposts being established or take prompt action to remove them. Instead, the earliest responses of the Israeli authorities are to provide electricity and military protection to the outposts. Occasionally, the Israeli government goes even further by legalizing outposts.[]…

As a minimum response to Israel’s war crimes, Canada needs to take immediate action to terminate the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement. This is particularly important, given that CIFTA makes no distinction between products produced in Israel proper and those produced in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.