For Immediate Release 

Montreal, Sept. 22, 2011 — On July 7, 2011, after a delay of more than a year, the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA) released the report of its inquiry. Today, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is issuing a detailed Critique of the CPCCA report which highlights grave misrepresentations in the CPCCA report.

The CPCCA report concluded that the incidence of antisemitism is on the rise, both in Canadian society generally, and particularly on our university campuses. After a thorough review of the testimony, the CJPME Critique found in fact that most of the senior Canadian law enforcement officials who appeared before the inquiry stated that the incidence of antisemitism in their respective provinces and cities was either not on the rise, or had in fact dropped. Likewise all 12 university administrators who appeared before the Inquiry testified that antisemitism was not a problem on their campuses.

CJPME believes that the testimony of key witnesses was ignored by the Inquiry in its report because such testimony did not fit with the CPCCA’s pre-announced conclusion that antisemitism is a growing problem in Canada.

“It is upsetting and unethical that the CPCCA’s report essentially ignored the most authoritative testimony presented to it,” said CJPME director, Thomas Woodley. “In general, the work of the inquiry does not seem credible, as it sought to highlight only those voices which supported its premises, while ignoring all contrary voices.”

Other disturbing irregularities were also discovered with the CPCCA’s report. For example, CJPME found that although the inquiry claimed to have received 200 written submissions from the public at its launch, less than half of those submissions are acknowledged: whether in its report, or on its website.

The CJPME Critique also highlights how the review process for the report was also quite irregular. For example, at least one panel member — Liberal MP Joyce Murray — refused to put her name on the report. Embassy Magazine reported Murray as saying that CPCCA members were never brought together to discuss the report or consider revisions.

CJPME’s Critique of the CPCCA report can be read here.