House of Commons Justice Committee Releases Dangerous Report Furthering Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR)

Ottawa, ON – December 10, 2024 – Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights released a report titled “Islamophobia on the Rise: Taking Action, Confronting Hate and Protecting Civil Liberties Together.” The report includes a deeply troubling endorsement of the concept of "Anti-Palestinian Racism" (APR), which the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) strongly opposes. 

The report faced criticism from the Conservative Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois. The Conservative Party argued that the inclusion of APR and anti-Arab racism in the report detracts from the critical work of combatting Islamophobia, while the Bloc Québécois further advocated that the Government of Canada eliminate the religious exception to provisions criminalizing hate speech and incitement to violence. 

In response to the report, Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), issued the following statement:  

“While CIJA firmly condemns Islamophobia in all its forms and recognizes the deadly consequences of anti-Muslim hate in Canada, we are concerned and profoundly disappointed by the Committee’s support for APR. This decision is especially concerning given the recent launch of the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, which emphasizes the importance of safeguarding against antisemitism—a milestone that, ironically, was not referenced in the Committee’s report. 

“CIJA has been clear in its position: the endorsement of APR is an attack on Jewish identity, undermines the important work of combatting antisemitism, and poses a direct challenge to the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Recognizing APR would represent a grievous misstep that must be rejected by the Government of Canada. 

“Under the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA), Palestinian Canadians, as they should, already enjoy the full protection of Canadian human rights law. There is no need for a new category of 'Anti-Palestinian Racism' as our laws already address discrimination, hate, and harassment, regardless of one’s ethnic or national background. This report risks politicizing human rights law in a way that benefits one group at the expense of another, ultimately dividing communities rather than bringing them together, as the report’s title absurdly claims. 

“While invoked by its proponents as a form of human rights protection, APR is a misnomer that cynically misapplies the concept of racism. It attempts to label political positions and differences of opinion as breaches of human rights, undermining the foundation of Canadian human rights law. APR’s stated purpose—to protect Palestinian perspectives—in fact, seeks to silence opposing views and entrench certain narratives as fact by weaponizing human rights. APR distorts human rights by implying that holding a difference of opinion could be a violation of human rights. It should be rejected as a concept.  

“Proponents of APR have suggested that accusations of antisemitism against Palestinians or their advocates amount to acts of racism, thus accusing Jews of "weaponizing" their claims. This is not only a distortion of reality but also a harmful perpetuation of antisemitic tropes about Jewish conspiracy and deceit. Such allegations must be condemned in the strongest terms.  

“We stand in solidarity with the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois, aligned with their concerns that this report detracts from the urgent need to confront Islamophobia. We must focus on protecting all communities equally, without politicizing or dividing our efforts.” 

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Additional Background 

• Press Release: Government Support of 'Anti-Palestinian Racism' Risks Undermining Canadian Jewish Rights 
• Statement: CIJA Disappointed by TDSB Failure to Address Antisemitism in Proposed Strategy for Combating Hate and Racism  
• Statement: "TDSB Trustees Must Vote NO" - CHR Ignores Antisemitism  
• Op-ed : Shimon Koffler Fogel: The push to define anti-Palestinian racism is not about fighting discrimination  
• CIJA Resources: Ten major concerns with the concept of Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR)  
• CIJA Priorities: Recognize that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism  
• The IHRA non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” 
  Full details and contemporary examples of antisemitism can be found here.