Some upcoming events are listed at: durhamspark.blogspot.com/2026/02/an-update-for-week-8-of-2026-history-of.html and durhamspark.blogspot.com/2026/02/revising-durhams-udoldclup-planning.html The Nowruz holiday began on the Northern Hemisphere spring equinox, March 20th: durhamspark.blogspot.com/2026/02/some-astronomical-events-march-april.html As did Eid al-Fitr this year? – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr and www.rt.com/russia/635624-eid-festival-moscow-mosque/ Creek Week in Orange County began March 21st and Durham Creek Week ended on World Water Day, Sunday, March 22nd. Other local creek weeks also begin in late March (?), and powwows, Asian cherry blossom festivals in the US South (the International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia is March 20-29th; the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC will be March 20th to April 12th in 2026: nationalcherryblossomfestival.org ; see also: www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/03/05/cherry-blossom-peak-bloom-date-2026-march-29-april-1 ? The forecast in Japan, March 17th-April 25th: www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02648/ At Duke Gardens: www.instagram.com/p/DVtuCy6jgno/ A white weeping cherry nearby is already done or all but done. A native black cherry is just leafing out but Eastern tent caterpillars have already emerged and woven two silken nests again this year.), etc. Farmworker Awareness Week 2026 will be March 25th-31st? – saf-unite.org/national-farmworker-awareness-week/ The wars aren't a major issue at No Kings? – www.nokings.org/news/over-3000-no-kings-events-planned-for-march-28-more-events-added-daily March 23rd is reportedly National Tamale Day, among other days.
Democracy Now!’s 30th Anniversary Event, with hosts Amy Goodman, Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh and guests Angela Davis, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Mosab Abu Toha, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Hurray for the Riff Raff, and others, will be Monday, March 23 at 7pm EDT in-person at Riverside Church in New York City and livestreamed at: democracynow.org/30 It is broadcast on WNCU (7-8pm Monday-Thursday) and WCOM (?) in the Triangle.
Abducted (ICE-style?) off the street in Kiev, Ukraine, tortured, and denied access to a lawyer or doctor, but released by March 22nd, not the first time he has faced government repression: worldbeyondwar.org/yurii-sheliazhenko-abducted/
"From Quaker Meeting in Kiev:
Today, March 19, 2026, representatives of the Pechersk District Police in Kyiv, along with an individual claiming to be a TCC (Territorial Recruitment Center) officer who refused to identify himself, illegally detained Yurii Sheliazhenko—a human rights defender, pacifist, and conscientious objector to military service.
This act of lawlessness took place on Perspektyvna Street. The detention was led by Senior Operative Serhiy Vitaliyovych Nakopyuk. No protocol was drawn up. Yurii managed to call his lawyer, but the officers did not wait for the lawyer’s arrival. According to Yurii, he is currently being transported to an unknown location at 20 Boichuka St. This is an illegal detention and a gross violation of human rights."
worldbeyondwar.org/vindication-uk-jury-clears-palestine-action-protesters-who-admitted-to-elbit-break-in/
In Canada – worldbeyondwar.org/flooding-the-zone-police-raids-on-peace-activists/
worldbeyondwar.org/talk-world-radio-rising-violence-in-cameroon/
worldbeyondwar.org/bogota/
worldbeyondwar.org/belarus-targets-humanitarian-work-in-lithuania-as-extremism/
The BBC reported that four ambulances in northwest London owned or run by one or more Jewish organizations have been burned.
Suddenly there has been a large amount of reporting about the retaliatory damage Iran is inflicting on Israel – but only damage in Dimona. They didn't care much about the Iranian girls' school someone, probably the US, bombed. Even the BBC admitted on the 21st that Israel has nuclear weapons.
NPR and the BBC focus on Iran's restrictions on information and damage done by the criminal aggressors, and tar the "regime" for mostly blocking them from entering the country (with very conspiratorial dramatic readings of messages from alleged 'ordinary' to openly Machadoist Iranians in Iran being broadcast on the BBC everyday), rarely or never mentioning that Israel and the Gulf Arab countries are also restricting information. "Loose lips sink ships?" Iran let Lise Doucette in recently.
The BBC broadcast 1940's type war criminal if not genocidal talk by a Likud diaspora minister and an allegedly 'ordinary' Israeli in Dimona March 22nd.
If Russia attacks western Ukraine's electricity supply it is barbaric, they say, but not a word when the US does it to Iran, Cuba, etc. "Communist"-run Cuba is just having some problems, the BBC says. Bombing media is fine with them in 2026 too.
Will Grant talks like Cuba shouldn't arrest rioters and arsonists.
If the Pentagon says it, it must be true (so why didn't NPR just agree to that no leaks Pentagon press corps contract in 2025?). Greg Myri – Apache helicopters and A-10 jets can allegedly venture over Iran at will. Not a word on the expensive US aircraft lost? No mention of shortages.
It isn't a 'political' magazine, but even the March issue of Fortean Times (from the UK) smears Maduro, Rodriguez, and Bolivarian Venezuela, though it also gives the name of a Venezuelan ghost applied to Machado.
S and T magazine isn't 'political' either, but joined the US-western Ukraine war effort, as did the Durham City Council, but not a word on what the US, other NATO countries, and Israel have done.
The BBC is decrying the French "hard," "far" left, left of the old CP (?).
Some related articles:
"Ukraine adds Russian Paralympians to [US government-connected] ‘kill list’" – March 20th – www.rt.com/news/635644-russian-paralympians-ukraine-mirotvorets/
"FIFA president added to Ukraine’s state-linked ‘kill list’" – www.rt.com/pop-culture/631935-infantino-fifa-ukraine-kill-list/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrotvorets
consortiumnews.com/2026/03/21/idf-threatens-elimination-of-russian-leaders/
"Western silence allows Israel to get away with killing journalists" – March 21st – www.rt.com/news/635719-israel-attacks-journalists-west-complicit/
"‘Deliberate attack’: RT correspondent recounts surviving Israeli airstrike (VIDEO)" – March 19th –www.rt.com/news/635531-rt-crew-injured-lebanon/
"Israel's Targeting Of Journalist Steve Sweeney In Lebanon Is Just The Latest In A Long History Of Israel Targeting Journalists." – March 20th – the307.substack.com/p/israels-targeting-of-journalist-steve
"US News Orgs Nearly Silent on Israel’s Violent Suppression of Journalism" – March 11th –fair.org/home/us-news-orgs-nearly-silent-on-israels-violent-suppression-of-journalism/
evakarenebartlett.substack.com/p/western-silence-allows-israel-to
In Lithuania – "Croatian cellist [Stjepan Hauser] banned from EU state over Russian folk song ['Kalinka'] media" – March 21st – www.rt.com/news/635755-croatian-cellist-concert-axed-lithuania-russian-folk-song/
"WATCH German athletes snub Russian Paralympic champions" – March 11th –www.rt.com/russia/634553-germany-russia-paralympic-snub/
"African football champions stripped of continental title" – March 18th – www.rt.com/africa/635414-senegal-stripped-africa-cup-title/
"‘Israel-linked’ arms facility set ablaze in EU (VIDEO)" – March 20th – www.rt.com/news/635662-czech-fire-israel-weapons-video/
"Iran claims F-35 hit (VIDEO)" – March 19th – www.rt.com/news/635567-iran-hits-us-f35-jet/
"Battle for Hungary: How the EU plans to defeat Viktor Orban" – www.rt.com/news/635670-eu-hungary-election-interference/
"Dozens of Ukrainian drones downed over Russia in two hours – MOD" – March 22nd –www.rt.com/russia/635857-dozens-ukrainian-drones-downed-russia-sunday-mod/
In Latvia – "Nazis honored in EU country’s capital" – March 17th – www.rt.com/news/635314-nazis-honored-march-latvia/
www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/11/doctrine-and-proliferation-france-forward-deterrence-and-going-backwards/
"France to expand nuclear arsenal – Macron" – March 2nd – www.rt.com/news/633548-france-expand-nuclear-arsenal-macron/
"International Matters of Concern – Canada Joins Europe to Step Up Militarization to Justify Wars Against Peoples Fighting for Their Rights" – cpcml.ca/TML2026/MS5602.HTM
"Millions Around the World Stand with Iran, Palestine and Lebanon – Photo Review" – cpcml.ca/TML2026/T56008.HTM
consortiumnews.com/2026/03/20/manufacturing-a-lebanese-civil-war/
www.un-diplomatic.com/p/multipolarity-diego-garcia-and-the
roburie.substack.com/p/apocalypse-now-west-asia-edition
www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/israel-keeps-murdering-every-iranian
simplicius76.substack.com/p/final-escalatory-act-awaits-as-iran
simplicius76.substack.com/p/whipsaw-effect-trump-again-signals
julianmacfarlane.substack.com/p/murder-most-foul-fc
indi.ca/a-retreat-turning-to-a-rout-ramadan-war-21/
indi.ca/the-ramadan-war-comes-home-to-sri-lanka/
karat.substack.com/p/trumps-media-wars
jonathancook.substack.com/p/bbc-editors-libel-case-against-owen
neuburger.substack.com/p/how-close-is-israel-to-maximum-escalation
neuburger.substack.com/p/war-on-iran-the-information-gap
the307.substack.com/p/mossad-de-facto-admits-to-inciting
caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/03/22/its-unethical-to-have-sympathy-for-israelis-and-other-notes/
www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/13/middle-power-nonsense-australia-canada-and-capitulating-to-the-iran-war/
www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/12/starmers-self-defence-fudge-the-uks-growing-involvement-in-the-iran-war/
"Why does Finland want to get involved in Iran?"– March 18th – www.rt.com/news/635442-stubb-finland-iran-ukraine/
www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/05/how-it-became-legal-to-attack-iran/
went2thebridge.substack.com/p/false-flags-are-on-brand-for-zionists
www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/18/misplaced-mourning-farewelling-the-cia-world-factbook/
www.normalisland.co.uk/p/starmer-sends-israel-strongly-worded
www.normalisland.co.uk/p/ai-clone-of-netanyahu-vows-to-continue
www.normalisland.co.uk/p/women-of-tehran-liberated-by-fiery
www.normalisland.co.uk/p/keir-starmer-apologises-to-israel
This is the post I was thinking of that outlines some official government and private Israeli violence and discrimination against Christians, even Christians who aren't Palestinian or Arab: durhamspark.blogspot.com/2023/12/some-unac-and-adc-statements-and.html
A US call for the expulsion of Israel from FIFA and the IOC: durhamspark.blogspot.com/2025/07/bap-fifa-and-ioc-must-ban-us-and-israel.html
Slightly edited.
Originally posted at: www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/press-release-uefa-and-fifa-leadership-pressed-to-expel-israel-from-football/ --
Post Date: March 16, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
16 March 2026
UEFA AND FIFA LEADERSHIP PRESSED TO EXPEL ISRAEL FROM FOOTBALL
Yesterday, a group of five organisations that recently filed a complaint before the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court against Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Čeferin for assisting in war crimes and crimes against humanity, wrote to members of the UEFA Executive Committee and the FIFA Council, demanding they expel Israel from international football competitions.
Letter to the UEFA Executive Committee
In the letter, UEFA Executive Committee members were reminded that, 6 months prior, they had made an internal decision to cancel plans for an extraordinary meeting intended to suspend Israel’s clubs and national teams from all UEFA-organised events, allegedly to enable Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza to take effect. The five organisations said this suggested “a demonstrably false link between the realisation of the two entirely separate issues.” They also recalled a phone call made by Netanyahu – a fugitive wanted by the International Criminal Court – to Mr Čeferin that played a role in the cancellation of the plans.
The five organisations presented the evidence to the UEFA Executive Committee demonstrating that Trump’s “Peace Plan” is not just entirely ineffective, but widely regarded as a guise for the Trump family Riviera Project and an Israeli state ethnic cleansing project. Importantly, UN human rights experts have determined that the genocide in Gaza continues. As such, Trump’s “Peace Plan” cannot serve as a valid reason to keep Israel a part of European football. The UEFA’s leadership were called upon to rebuild the credibility of UEFA and their own legacy as sport administrators by immediately expelling Israel:
It is a critical time to apply territorial integrity and human rights provisions in [UEFA] Statutes. If the Israel FA is not suspended for multiple breaches of UEFA Statutes at this point in history, the provisions themselves become futile and unenforceable against any other party in the future.
Letter to the FIFA Council
A separate letter addressed to the FIFA Council highlighted the integration in FIFA structures of the Israeli illegal settlement clubs located on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank, which is in clear breach of both the territorial integrity and human rights provisions of the FIFA Statutes. The groups accuse FIFA of having used “systematic institutional delays” since 2013 to avoid enforcing these rules, a strategy they characterize as a denial of justice. They further warned that this failure to act moves the issue beyond sports arbitration and into the sphere of Swiss public policy and due process considerations that could eventually elevate the dispute to the jurisdiction of the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
The FIFA Council was warned by human rights organisations and UN experts that their institutional support and inclusion of illegal settlement clubs is inseparable from serious human rights abuses. Mr Infantino himself acknowledged at the 2024 FIFA Congress that the matter was “urgent” and has insisted since 2017 that the FIFA Council, as opposed to Congress, has competence to decide on it.
The letter to the FIFA Council concluded that
FIFA’s governance standards have reached an unprecedented low, characterized by a complete loss of moral authority and legitimacy. This is the first time since the creation of the UN that an FA from a country implementing genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, while invading several independent states, has been a member of FIFA. Football clubs and players from Israel publicly support the Israeli government actions, while the IFA’s Chairman visits and publicly supports an Air Force that has bombed and killed over 21,000 Palestinian children. Therefore, retaining the [Israel] FA as a FIFA member is not a politically neutral act – it is complicity and it enables sportswashing of the gravest war crimes.
Upcoming decision
In October 2024, the FIFA Council passed the issue of illegal settlement clubs onto the FIFA Governance Audit and Compliance Committee. After 18 months of silence, this Committee is now expected to deny its jurisdiction over the matter and continue Mr Infantino’s policy of arbitrary delays, denial of justice, and grave breaches of human rights of Palestinian people.
For enquiries: ICC.legal.team[at]proton[ ]me
This press release was originally posted (with the letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Anita Anand) at: www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/press-release-canadian-organizations-call-on-carney-to-sanction-israels-illegal-e1-settlement-project/
Post Date: March 16, 2026
le français suit
Editors note: You can read the full letter below.
PRESS RELEASE
16 March 2026
Canadian Organizations Call on Carney to Sanction Israel’s Illegal E1 Settlement Project
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, advocates warn that the E1 expansion would permanently sever the West Bank into two disconnected enclaves, entrenching annexation and foreclosing any viable path to a just political resolution. The project would deliberately reshape the territory’s geography and demographics in clear violation of international law, undermining Palestinians’ right to self‑determination. Israel’s Finance Minister has explicitly said that the project is intended to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Canada has condemned the E1 plan, but civil society leaders say condemnations without consequences will not stop it.
The Israel Land Authority announced the E1 bidding tender in December 2025 and plans to award contracts on July 6, 2026. Once these tenders are issued and construction advances, reversal will be nearly impossible.
Canadian Global Sanctions Coalition endorsers are urging Canadian government to:
- Publicly warn that any person or entity involved in E1 expansion will face targeted economic sanctions.
- Signal that participation in the project risks loss of access to Canadian markets and financial systems.
- Enforce immediate designations should contracts move forward.
QUOTES
“The E1 settlement project is designed to permanently entrench Israel’s apartheid rule over the occupied West Bank, and foreclose any possibility for Palestinian self-determination,” said Michael Bueckert, Vice President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME). “Canada cannot claim to oppose Israeli settlement expansion while refusing to adopt any of the practical tools that could halt Israel’s colonial ambitions. There have to be real economic consequences for individuals and businesses seeking to profit from these schemes.”
“Recent polling shows that a majority of Canadian Jews do not support Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territory,” noted Corey Balsam of Independent Jewish Voices. “If Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood is to have any meaning, the Carney government must move beyond statements of concern and impose real consequences on Israel’s settlement project and the expansionist policies driving it.”
“E1 is not routine settlement growth. It is a deliberate project to make Palestinian statehood impossible,” said Karen Rodman of Just Peace Advocates. “Canada cannot claim to defend a rules‑based order while its markets and financial systems facilitate this destruction.”
POLICY CONTEXT
Under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power cannot transfer its civilian population into occupied territory or permanently alter its character absent absolute necessity. Israeli settlements, including the E1 project and settlement expansion of Ma’ale Adumim, violate these standards and threaten prospects for peace.
Canada and allied governments, including the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union, have previously imposed targeted sanctions in response to settler violence and property destruction in the West Bank. Civil society leaders stress that decisive economic measures are needed now to deter larger annexation efforts.
With July 6 approaching and Middle East tensions escalating, advocates warn that the window for preventive action is closing fast.
Media contacts:
- Michael Bueckert, CJPME: michael.bueckert[at]cjpme[ ]org
- Karen Rodman, Just Peace Advocates: info[at]justpeaceadvocates[ ]ca
- Corey Balsam, IJV Canada: corey[at]ijvcanada[ ]org
COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE
16 mars 2026
Des organisations canadiennes appellent Carney à sanctionner le projet de colonisation illégal E1 d’Israël
Ottawa, Canada — Des organisations de la société civile canadienne, soutenues par des signataires internationaux, appellent le Premier ministre Carney et la ministre des Affaires étrangères Anand à prendre des mesures immédiates pour mettre fin au projet de colonisation E1 d’Israël en Cisjordanie occupée. Alors que la campagne militaire illégale menée actuellement par les États-Unis et Israël contre l’Iran accroît l’instabilité dans tout le Moyen-Orient, l’expansion du projet E1 risque d’attiser davantage les tensions tout en consolidant le contrôle illégal et discriminatoire d’Israël sur le territoire palestinien.
Parfois qualifiée de colonie « apocalyptique » d’Israël, les défenseurs avertissent que l’expansion de la zone E1 diviserait définitivement la Cisjordanie en deux enclaves isolées, consolidant ainsi l’annexion et fermant toute voie viable vers une résolution politique juste. Le projet modifierait délibérément la géographie et la démographie du territoire, en violation flagrante du droit international, portant atteinte au droit des Palestiniens à l’autodétermination. Le ministre israélien des Finances a explicitement déclaré que le projet visait à « enterrer l’idée d’un État palestinien ».
Le Canada a condamné le plan E1, mais les dirigeants de la société civile affirment que des condamnations sans conséquences ne suffiront pas à l’arrêter.
L’Autorité foncière israélienne a annoncé l’appel d’offres pour le projet E1 en décembre 2025 et prévoit d’attribuer les contrats le 6 juillet 2026. Une fois ces appels d’offres lancés et la construction engagée, il sera pratiquement impossible de faire marche arrière.
Les signataires de la Coalition canadienne pour des sanctions mondiales exhortent le gouvernement canadien à :
- Avertir publiquement que toute personne ou entité impliquée dans l’expansion du projet E1 fera l’objet de sanctions économiques ciblées.
- Signaler que la participation au projet risque d’entraîner la perte d’accès aux marchés et aux systèmes financiers canadiens.
- Appliquer immédiatement des désignations si les contrats sont conclus.
CITATIONS
« Le projet de colonie E1 vise à ancrer de manière permanente le régime d’apartheid israélien en Cisjordanie occupée et à exclure toute possibilité d’autodétermination palestinienne », a déclaré Michael Bueckert, vice-président de Canadiens pour la justice et la paix au Moyen-Orient (CJPME). « Le Canada ne peut prétendre s’opposer à l’expansion des colonies israéliennes tout en refusant d’adopter les outils concrets susceptibles de mettre fin aux ambitions coloniales d’Israël. Il doit y avoir de réelles conséquences économiques pour les particuliers et les entreprises qui cherchent à tirer profit de ces manœuvres. »
« Un sondage récent montre qu’une majorité de Juifs canadiens ne soutient pas l’expansion des colonies israéliennes dans les territoires palestiniens occupés », a noté Corey Balsam, de l’organisation Voix juives indépendantes. « Si la reconnaissance par le Canada de l’État palestinien veut en effet dire quelque chose, le gouvernement Carney doit aller au-delà des déclarations d’inquiétude et imposer de réelles conséquences au projet de colonisation israélien et aux politiques expansionnistes qui le sous-tendent. »
« Le projet E1 n’est pas une expansion de routine des colonies. Il s’agit d’un projet délibéré visant à rendre impossible la création d’un État palestinien », a déclaré Karen Rodman, du Mouvement pour une paix juste. « Le Canada ne peut prétendre défendre un ordre fondé sur des règles alors que ses marchés et ses systèmes financiers facilitent cette destruction. »
CONTEXTE POLITIQUE
En vertu du droit international, y compris la quatrième Convention de Genève, une puissance occupante ne peut transférer sa population civile dans un territoire occupé ni modifier de manière permanente le caractère de ce territoire sans nécessité absolue. Les colonies israéliennes, y compris le projet E1 et l’expansion de la colonie de Ma’ale Adumim, violent ces normes et menacent les perspectives de paix.
Le Canada et les gouvernements alliés, notamment le Royaume-Uni, l’Australie et l’Union européenne, ont déjà imposé des sanctions ciblées en réponse à la violence des colons et à la destruction de biens en Cisjordanie. Les leaders de la société civile soulignent que des mesures économiques décisives sont désormais nécessaires pour dissuader des efforts d’annexion à plus grande échelle.
À l’approche du 6 juillet et face à l’escalade des tensions au Moyen-Orient, les défenseurs de la paix avertissent que la fenêtre d’opportunité pour une action préventive se referme rapidement.
Contacts médias : - Michael Bueckert, CJPME : [listed above]
- Karen Rodman, Just Peace Advocates : [ ]
- Corey Balsam, IJV Canada : [ ]
Originally posted at: www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/press-release-carney-government-chooses-trump-and-arming-genocide-over-international-law-as-liberals-vote-down-no-more-loopholes-act/
Post Date: March 12, 2026
MEDIA RELEASE
March 11, 2026
Carney Government Chooses Trump and Arming Genocide Over International Law as Liberals Vote Down ‘No More Loopholes’ Act
Vote Leaves Backdoor Pipeline of Canadian Weapons Flowing Through the U.S. to Israel Wide Open
OTTAWA, ON – The Arms Embargo Now Coalition condemns the Liberal government today after the House of Commons voted down Bill C-233, the No More Loopholes Act, legislation that would have closed a major loophole that allows Canadian military exports to reach Israel through the United States without permits, oversight, or human-rights review.
The vote represents a decisive political choice by the Carney government to maintain Canada’s role in supplying weapons through U.S. military supply chains, even as Israel continues its assault on Gaza and the United States and Israel expand their war across the region.
“This vote was a litmus test,” said Rachel Small, Canada lead with World Beyond War and a spokesperson for the Arms Embargo Now campaign. “The Carney government had a clear opportunity to align Canadian arms exports with international law and human rights. Instead, it chose to align itself with Trump and to preserve the loophole that allows Canadian weapons and explosives to flow into U.S. supply chains fueling Israel’s wars.”
Bill C-233 would have required Canadian military exports to the United States to undergo the same permit requirements and human-rights risk assessments applied to exports to other countries.
The loophole has allowed Canadian weapons components and explosives to move into U.S. weapons manufacturing systems and ultimately into Israeli military operations. In addition, Canadian armoured vehicles have also been witnessed in use by ICE in their deadly operations in Minneapolis, Canadian sensors have been documented being used in the US’ attack on Venezuela, and millions of dollars worth of Canadian parts were used to produce every single F-35 fighter jet used in the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran.
“The government has chosen the side of militarism and war profiteering. The side of Lockheed Martin and the arms industry. The side of Trump and Netanyahu’s expanding wars,” Small added.
Grassroots Organizing Fractures Liberal Caucus
Despite the defeat of the bill, a significant political breakthrough: 15 Liberal MPs broke ranks with their leadership and voted in favour of the legislation following months of organizing across the country, while dozens more abstained instead of voting wit C.
Thousands of Canadians participated in the campaign to close the U.S. loophole, organizing:
- mass email and phone campaigns to MPs
- community canvassing and outreach
- coordinated protests at MP offices
- direct meetings with elected officials
- coordinated media advocacy exposing Canada’s arms exports
This pressure forced the issue into the national spotlight and compelled MPs to publicly take a position.
“For months, communities across the country organized tirelessly to expose Canada’s complicity in war crimes and force their representatives to pick a side,” Boutaïna Chafi, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement said. “Because of that organizing, many MPs broke ranks with their own government to support this bill.”
Evidence of Canada’s Role in the Weapons Supply Chain
The vote took place amid mounting evidence that Canadian weapons components and explosives continue to reach Israel through U.S. military supply chains.
Recent investigative reporting and movement research have documented:
- Canadian components used in F-35 fighter jets deployed by Israel
- Canadian explosives used in U.S. weapons manufacturing plants producing bombs and artillery shells exported to Israel
- That a government agency had itself investigated the risk of Canadian military exports being incorporated into American weapons used by Israel
- That a key Liberal minister was informed of this diversion
These findings directly contradict repeated government claims that Canada had already halted arms transfers to Israel and that Bill C-233 was thus unnecessary.
“The reality is simple,” Chafi said. “Canada never actually stopped arming Israel. The government simply relied on a loophole that allows weapons to transit through the United States without oversight. They chose industry and profit over the concerns of the majority of Canadians who elected them.”
A Vote That Defines the Carney Government
The coalition said the defeat of Bill C-233 signals a broader shift in Canadian policy under the new government.
“Mark Carney has made clear that his vision for Canada is one of deeper integration into the U.S. war economy,” said Yara Shoufani, President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. “From expanding Canadian military production, to record breaking defence spending on American weapon systems, to aligning Canada’s foreign policy with Washington’s escalating wars, this government is entrenching Canada further inside the U.S. military-industrial complex.”
Advocates say the vote confirms that the government has chosen to prioritize the profits of arms manufacturers and the military interests of Trump and Netanyahu over international law and human rights.
A Movement That Is Not Going Away
The defeat of the bill does not mark the end of the campaign to end Canada’s complicity in Israel’s war.
“The fight to change Canadian law in order to close the U.S. loophole was one tactic in a broader movement to end Canada’s role in arming and supporting Israel’s genocide,” Small said. “Arms Embargo Now is not a momentary campaign. It is a growing movement rooted in grassroots organizing across the country.”
The Arms Embargo Now campaign has already succeeded in exposing Canada’s arms export regime and forcing public debate over the country’s role in global militarism.
“This government may have voted down the bill, but they cannot put the issue back in the shadows,” said Shoufani. “MPs are now on the record. Carney has now picked a side. Canadians now know the truth about Canada’s arms exports and complicity in war crimes.”
The fight for a real, two-way arms embargo on Israel continues.
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###MEDIA CONTACT: Gur Tsabar, movementmediahub[at]gmail[ ]com
Originally posted at: www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/press-releases-from-peace-groups/
Post Date: March 4, 2026
MEDIA ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2026
Peace groups to protest the Carney Government’s “The Road to NATO’s 5% GDP Target”
Military Conference in Ottawa
(Ottawa) – Peace groups will be holding a rally against the federal government’s plan to increase military spending on Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. outside the Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. The rally “Hell No to NATO’s 5%! Cut Military Spending and Fund a Green, Care Economy” will protest the CDA Institute’s conference on NATO’s new Defence Investment Pledge of 5% of GDP that will be attended by high-level Canadian, American and European officials including Defence Minister David McGuinty and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Mathew Whitacker.
The coalition cites the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s recent report that showed that annual military spending will increase over three times to $159/billion to reach the target by 2035. According to NATO’s latest Defence Expenditures report, Canada’s military spending was $44 billion in 2024 and will rise to $64 billion this year to hit the 2% GDP target, which is five years faster than scheduled. The Prime Minister committed Canada to meet the NATO’s 5% Defence Investment Pledge by 2035 at the summit in the Netherlands last year.
Canadian Voice of Women activist and organizer Tamara Lorincz denounced the drastic increase to military spending, “We are in a poverty crisis and a climate emergency in this country. The Carney’s government reckless plan to boost the military budget will irresponsibly divert public tax dollars to weapons and war instead of meeting the needs of Canadians. The government should be investing in a green, care economy.”
The coalition of peace groups include the Ottawa Peace Council, the Canadian Peace Congress, the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW), the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom Canada (WILPF), Peace and Social Concerns Committee of Ottawa Quakers, Transition écologique La Pêche Coalition for a Green New Deal and Hills for Peace and Justice, Carleton Public Interest Research Group, World BEYOND War Canada, and the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
Mariam Furre, a student and a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-Canada argued, “It is unacceptable that the federal government is dramatically increasing military spending and investing billions in new weapons systems while people across Canada are struggling to afford basic necessities. Food bank use is at a record high, students are taking on crushing debt to pay tuition, and many of us are working multiple jobs just to cover rent. This is not right.”
Furre added “We reject a political agenda that prioritizes fighter jets and weapons contracts over affordable housing, education, and public services. Public funds should be invested in people not militarization.”
Another organizer Matthew Belloni of the Ottawa Peace Council explained, “The economy affects every one of us. When the economy focuses on war posturing and profiteering to satisfy Trump – it takes away from our government’s ability and capacity help its people here at home. There is a direct cause and effect connection between high military spending and poverty. This is what we hope to call out at the rally.”
The rally “Hell No to NATO’s 5%! Cut Military Spending” will take place on Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the Chateau Laurier Hotel, 1 Rideau St, Ottawa. More information can be found on the web site: https://wilpfcanada.ca/panel-protest-against-natos-5-in-ottawa-march-3-5/
The peace groups have also organized a panel event “Holding the Bully’s Coat: Canada, NATO and Trump’s U.S. Empire” on Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy St, Ottawa. The speakers are Dimitri Lascaris (Reason to Resist), Tamara Lorincz (WILPF-Canada & VOW), Hala (Palestine Youth Movement), & Larry Wasslen (Canadian Peace Congress) and moderated by Monalisa Ghadben of Films for Falasteen. It’s a free, public event and everyone is welcome.
CDA Institute’s conference military conference “The Road to 5%” for NATO: https://cdainstitute.ca/events/ottawa-conference-march-4th-5th-2026
VOW and WILPF-Canada have also released an open letter to Prime Minister Carney and Defence Minister McGuinty to denounce the federal government’s NATO Defence Investment Pledge and the first Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and to call for their cancellation: https://wilpfcanada.ca/press-release-womens-peace-groups-call-on-carney-to-cancel-the-defence-industrial-strategy/
For more information or for interviews, please contact:
- Matthew Belloni, Ottawa Peace Council, Email: mbelloni90[at]yahoo[ ]ca /
- Mariam Furre, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Canada, Email: furremariam[at]gmail[ ]com / Web site: wilpfcanada.ca
- Tamara Lorincz, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Email: tlorincz[at]dal[ ]ca /
- Web site: http://vowpeace.org
###
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2026
Women’s peace groups call on Carney to cancel Defence Industrial Strategy and cut military spending
(Vancouver) – The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)-Canada have released an open letter to Prime Minister Carney and Defence Minister McGuinty to denounce the federal government’s first Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and call for its cancellation.
VOW and WILPF-Canada are concerned that the DIS will expedite the procurement of weapons and the doubling of arms exports, which will cause harm to women and worsen climate change. They claim that the DIS is an irresponsible and reckless plan that will militarize the Canadian economy and risk more violence and war.
Under the DIS, the federal government will spend $180 billion for procurement of new weapons systems and $290 billion in defence-related capital investment and infrastructure in the next ten years, which is a combined $470 billion to support the military. VOW and WILPF-Canada argue that spending tax dollars on the military is a trade-off to federal spending on health care, housing, child care, and education.
Tamara Lorincz, VOW’s senior researcher, stated that “The research shows that it is mostly men who benefit from higher military spending and investment in the defence sector.” She explained that the federal government’s gender analysis of the budget, Canada Strong, showed that military spending disproportionately advantages men.
Lorincz also challenged the DIS’s claims that it will create “125,000 high-paying careers” as a boon to workers in Canada. She argued that vast majority of those jobs will go to men as referenced in the 2024 report, State of Canada’s Defence Industry, which was prepared by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). The ISED-CADSI report revealed that women comprise only 27% of the defence industry. Lorincz argued, “it will be predominantly men who will get these well-paying jobs to manufacture more weapons for the male-dominated military to wage war.” She added that more jobs could be created in the care economy providing programs and services that would be productive and help more Canadians.
VOW and WILPF-Canada also argue that the 58-page DIS ignores the adverse social and environmental impacts from defence procurement. There is no gender-based analysis or environmental impact statement included in the DIS. As well, arms control, disarmament, non-proliferation and peace are absent from the strategy.
Ellen Woodsworth, cochair of WILPF-Canada questioned, “Why is so much money going to the military while more Canadians are desperate and living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet, especially single-mothers and elderly women?” Woodsworth also explained that the DIS’s focus on weapons procurement and production undermines Canada’s commitment to the United Nations’s Charter and Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. She added “The federal government still has not fully implemented the recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which requires substantial federal funding.”
VOW and WILPF-Canada highlighted the key finding of the UN Secretary General’s annual report on Women Peace and Security that stated “Women peacebuilders’ universal message to governments and armed actors is unequivocal: end the wars, respect international law and disarm.” The women’s group contend that the Canadian government is doing the exact opposite and ignoring the UN recommendations and the voices of women and wasting public resources on re-armament and the military.
The women’s groups also worry that the DIS will prevent Canada from achieving the Paris Agreement and rapidly reduce emissions because the military is the largest consumer of fossil fuel in the federal government and weapons systems are carbon-intensive. New fighter jets, armed drones, warships, armoured vehicles and missile launchers consume excessive petroleum and cause carbon lock-in for many years. According to the UN’s recent report, The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, “Military expenditure harms the planet because it is emissions-intensive. Each dollar allocated to the military generates more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of a dollar spent elsewhere.”
For WILPF-Canada and VOW, the DIS will create an American-style, market-driven military-industrial complex with little oversight that will enrich defence contractors and investors, but will impoverish Canadians and exacerbate the climate crisis. They are calling for the cancellation of the DIS and for the federal government to release a strategy for a green, care economy and a white paper on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. They are also calling on the government not increase military spending to the NATO 5% GDP target.
They have released an open letter to Prime Minister Carney and Defence Minister McGuinty to cancel the DIS, which is published at wilpfcanada.ca
WILPF-Canada and VOW with other peace and anti-war groups including the Ottawa Peace Council and the Canadian Peace Congress are having a public panel event “Holding the Bully’s Coat: Canada, NATO and Trump’s U.S. Empire” on Tuesday, March 3 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. at the McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy St, Ottawa. They are also having a rally “Hell No to NATO’s 5%! Cut Military Spending and Fund a Green, Care Economy” outside the Chateau Laurier hotel during the CDA Institute’s “The Road to 5%” conference on Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at 1 Rideau Street in Ottawa.
For more information or for interviews, please contact:
- Ellen Woodsworth, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom-Canada, Email: ewoodsworth[at]icloud[ ]com /
- Tamara Lorincz, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Email: tlorincz[at]dal[ ]ca /
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) is the largest national feminist peace organization with members and chapters across the country. VOW was established in 1960 and is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization comprised of a network of diverse women. VOW’s main office is in Toronto. VOW runs many campaigns and education programs related to women, peace, disarmament, and anti-militarism. VOW has consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and every year brings a delegation of Canadian women to the UN Commission on the Status of Women conference. For over 60 years, VOW has tirelessly advocated for a world without war. VOW stands for a feminist peace based on nonviolence, disarmament, diplomacy and common security with gender equality.
Web site: http://vowpeace.org
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) Canada is a membership-led organization committed to a feminist peace, social justice, and gender equality. We are a non-partisan, non-governmental organization members across the country. We are the national section of WILPF International, which is the world’s longest standing women peace organization founded in 1915, with 32 Sections and 13 Groups across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Two of our leaders, Jane Addams and Emily Greene Balch, won the Nobel Peace Prize. WILPF International is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has a disarmament program called Reaching Critical Will in New York. Our Peace Women program monitors the United Nations’ Women, Peace & Security agenda and we have an international Environment Working Group.
Web site: wilpfcanada.ca
Originally posted at: www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/press-release-schools-promoting-israeli-military-must-lose-public-subsidies/
Schools promoting Israeli military must lose public subsidies
Communiqué immédiat
27 février 2026
Les écoles qui font la promotion de l’armée israélienne doivent perdre leurs subventions publiques
Jeudi, La Presse a publié une enquête détaillant l’implication de l’armée israélienne dans deux écoles juives de Montréal. Les écoles Herzliah et Bialik ont reçu au moins 14 visites différentes de soldat·es israélien·nes actif·ves ou ancien·nes depuis octobre 2023. Le gymnase de l’école est également utilisé pour enseigner aux élèves les méthodes de combat militaires israéliennes.
« Toutes les subventions publiques devraient être retirées aux écoles qui invitent des soldats israéliens à endoctriner les enfants », a déclaré Bruce Katz, de Palestinian and Jewish Unity. « Alors que les forces israéliennes commettent un génocide à Gaza, les contribuables ne devraient pas subventionner les efforts visant à inciter les jeunes Québécois·es à se joindre à elles. C’est révoltant. »
Selon La Presse, le ministère de l’Éducation du Québec a versé 8 millions de dollars à Bialik et Herzliah en 2023-2024. L’école secondaire Herzliah fait partie du réseau des écoles Azrieli à Montréal, enregistré sous le nom de United Talmud Torahs of Montreal.
En plus de cette subvention publique directe, ces écoles sont enregistrées comme organismes de bienfaisance, ce qui leur permet d’accorder des crédits d’impôt aux donateurs. Elles reçoivent également des sommes importantes d’autres organismes de bienfaisance enregistrés.
Il existe une montagne de preuves démontrant que les écoles québécoises subventionnées par l’État consacrent des ressources et une énergie considérables à la promotion de l’armée israélienne et du sionisme.
Outre l’enquête menée par La Presse, plusieurs écoles, telles que l’Académie hébraïque de Montréal et d’autres à travers le pays, comme les écoles TanenbaumCHAT et Bnei Akiva, ont accueilli des soldats israéliens.
Les organismes de bienfaisance enregistrés qui font la promotion agressive d’une armée étrangère et incitent les enfants à s’enrôler enfreignent les lignes directrices de l’Agence du revenu du Canada qui interdisent aux organismes de bienfaisance de « soutenir les forces armées d’un autre pays ». L’ARC a été invitée à enquêter sur au moins une de ces écoles.
De plus, aider et encourager l’enrôlement dans une armée étrangère est illégal en vertu de la Loi sur l’enrôlement à l’étranger. Cette Loi stipule que « toute personne qui, au Canada, recrute ou incite de quelque manière que ce soit une personne ou un groupe de personnes à s’enrôler ou à accepter une commission ou un engagement dans les forces armées d’un État étranger ou dans d’autres forces armées opérant dans cet État est coupable d’une infraction ».
En octobre 2020, l’Institut canadien de politique étrangère, Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste et Palestiniens et Juifs Unis ont présenté un mémoire au procureur général Lametti concernant les écoles et autres entités qui recrutent illégalement pour l’armée israélienne au Canada. M. Lametti a demandé à la GRC d’enquêter.
Il a récemment été rapporté que plus de 1 500 Canadien·nes servaient dans l’armée israélienne l’année dernière.
Ce soutien public, notamment les exonérations fiscales accordées aux organismes caritatifs enregistrés, doit cesser, et ces écoles et leurs dirigeant·es doivent faire l’objet d’une enquête pour avoir aidé et encouragé le recrutement pour une armée étrangère. Une armée qui commet des crimes de guerre et un génocide.
Contact: Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste, info@justpeaceadvocates.ca
Schools promoting Israeli military must lose public subsidies
Thursday La Presse published an investigation detailing Israeli military involvement with two Montreal Jewish schools. Herzliah and Bialik school has had at least 14 different visits from active or former Israeli soldiers since October 2023. A school gym is also used to teach students Israeli military combat methods.
“All public subsidies should be withdrawn from schools bringing Israeli soldiers to indoctrinate children”, said Bruce Katz from Palestinian and Jewish Unity. “While Israeli forces commit genocide in Gaza, taxpayers should not subsidize efforts to induce young Quebecers to join them. It’s sick.”
According to La Presse, Quebec’s ministry of education gave $8 million to Bialik and Herzliah in 2023-24. The Herzliah High School is part of the Azrieli Schools network in Montreal registered as United Talmud Torahs of Montreal.
In addition to this direct public subsidy, these schools are registered charities, benefiting from the ability to grant tax credits to donors. They also receive significant sums from other registered charities.
There is much evidence that publicly subsidized Quebec schools devote significant resources and energy to promoting the Israeli military and Zionism.
In addition to La Presse’s investigation, there are several schools such as the Hebrew Academy in Montreal and others across the country, such as TanenbaumCHAT and Bnei Akiva Schools that have hosted Israeli soldiers.
Registered charities aggressively promoting a foreign military and inducing kids to join is in violation of Canada Revenue Agency guidelines that prohibit charities from “supporting the armed forces of another country.” The CRA has been asked to investigate at least one of these schools.
More than this, aiding and abetting the joining of a foreign military is illegal under the Foreign Enlistment Act. The Foreign Enlistment Act states, “Any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state is guilty of an offence.”
In October 2020, the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, Just Peace Advocates and Palestinian and Jewish Unity made a submission to Attorney General Lametti in regard to schools and other entities illegally recruiting for the IDF in Canada. Lametti asked the RCMP to investigate.
It has recently been reported that more than 1,500 Canadians were serving in the Israeli military last year.
This public support, including tax exemptions through charitable registration, needs to stop, and these schools and their leadership need to be investigated for aiding and abetting recruitment for a foreign military. A military that is committing war crimes and genocide.
Contact: Just Peace Advocates info[at]justpeaceadvocates[ ]ca
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