Passover begins tomorrow, where we tell the story of how the ancient Israelites in Egypt fled Mitzrayim, literally “the narrow place”. It is a story of exodus from a state of confinement and oppression into one of freedom. As Jews, we are taught to re-tell this story in every generation, as if we each experienced this journey personally.  But as we gather around the seder table this year, we know that the story of freedom...

As Jewish Canadians committed to justice, equality, and collective safety, we reject the premise that expanded policing powers and restrictions on expression will protect our communities. History shows that increasing surveillance, criminalization, and discretionary enforcement does not reduce hate, but actually exacerbates it, especially for marginalized groups. Conflating antisemitism with political dissent not only weakens the fight against genuine hatred, it also erodes the democratic rights that protect all Canadians. By shielding those complicit in...

Ottawa, Canada — Canadian civil society organizations, joined by international co‑endorsers, are calling on Prime Minister Carney and Foreign Minister Anand to take immediate action to halt Israel’s E1 settlement project in the Occupied West Bank. With the ongoing illegal U.S.‑Israel military campaign against Iran increasing instability across the Middle East, the E1 expansion risks further fuelling tensions while consolidating Israel’s unlawful and discriminatory control over Palestinian territory. Sometimes referred to as Israel’s “doomsday” settlement,...

Independent Jewish Voices condemns the American and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israel’s continued bombing of Lebanon. This attack is yet another example of Israel and the United States ignoring international law in service of their own imperial interests. In 2026 alone, the United States invaded Venezuela, starved Cuba, and now started a new regional war in the Middle East. Like the war in Iraq, this expansionist warmongering employs false rhetoric of nuclear powers to...

Independent Jewish Voices, Jewish Faculty Network, and United Jewish People’s Order Canada cautiously welcome the announcement of Canada’s new Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion. We expect this new body to address antisemitism through a broader anti-racist lens, rather than in ways that entrench or contribute to other forms of discrimination, notably anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia.  We were alarmed to learn that the now former Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia was not consulted prior...

Israel has brazenly barred a Canadian parliamentary delegation—including six Members of Parliament—from entering the occupied West Bank. This obstruction confirms exactly what we know about Israel’s apartheid rule over the territory: it is a brutal regime of military domination, suffocating restrictions, and collective punishment. It treats Palestinians as a captive population to be hidden from international scrutiny while paving the way for total annexation. It is an intolerable humiliation that five of the blocked MPs...