The Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) expresses its deep concerns regarding the escalation of tensions in West Asia. Despite ongoing deadly operations by Israel in Gaza, over 100 hostages are still believed to be held captive there.

In these operations, the Israeli government has indiscriminately attacked innocent civilians, resulting in over 41,500 Palestinians killed, more than 95000 people injured, and more than two million people displaced in the last year. This is not to mention the many thousands of additional deaths due to starvation and disease. In the face of an unprecedented level of international outcry and confirmation of Israel’s war crimes by both the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, instead of accepting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has expanded its aggression against Lebanon and has carried out multiple assassination operations, leading to the killing of thousands of additional civilians across the region. The Israeli government has demonstrated its full disregard of many international laws.

In recent days, in retaliation for Israeli aggression — including the killing of a peace negotiator on Iranian soil— the Iranian armed forces carried out a response against military targets in Israel. Since Iran’s response on October 1, 2024, Israeli officials are threatening to once again attack Iran, including by targeting oil refineries, infrastructure, and civilian nuclear program, which is under the inspection and monitoring of the IAEA. Such attacks would have devastating consequences for the Iranian people and could expand the conflict into a regional war, endangering the lives of millions of Muslims, Jews, Christians, and other citizens of the West Asia.

Considering that thousands of Canadian citizens and their family members live across the region and in the countries impacted by the Israeli government’s military operations, the Iranian Canadian Congress is deeply concerned about these recent escalations. We urge the Canadian federal government to use all diplomatic means available, including rallying the international community, to pressure the Israeli government to accept a ceasefire in Gaza, to stop its aggression toward Lebanon, and to refrain from expanding the war, including against Iran.

The time has come for this genocidal war to come to an end. A just and lasting peace is in the interest of all people in the region and in the interest of Canada and the Canadian people.

Iranian Canadian Congress is proud to join with a broad and representative group of pan-Canadian organizations that is raising our voices together for an immediate ceasefire to the escalating violence in Israel-Palestine and for the urgent restoration of humanitarian aid to Gaza and access to the basic necessities of life. We are among the leading pan-Canadian labour, faith, community, civil society, peace and justice organizations in Canada and Quebec. 

You can read our joint statement here.

Le texte en français suit.

Ceasefire now, end the siege, for a just and lasting peace

Issued on Saturday, October 21, 2023

People in Canada are watching in horror as the violence in Israel-Palestine has escalated towards an all-out war.

On Tuesday, the bombing of the Anglican Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people, most of them children. Over 5,000 people had been sheltering inside. This is an atrocity.

Since October 7, thousands have been killed following Hamas’ attack and the Israeli government’s response.

We unequivocally condemn the targeting of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

As representatives of leading pan-Canadian labour, faith, Arab, Jewish, and civil society organizations, we are calling on the Government of Canada to take these steps: 

• Call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine

• Call for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life

We endorse the Canadian government’s call for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the safe return of hostages. These demands cannot be meaningfully addressed without an immediate ceasefire and while Israel's blockade of Gaza continues.

Gaza is facing a “complete siege” as food, water, electricity, and fuel have been cut off. Gaza’s last functioning seawater desalination plant shut down on Sunday after running out of fuel. Water and sanitation services have collapsed in the wake of widespread bombing.

UN shelters have also run out of water and hospital workers are warning that thousands more civilians could die if access to water, fuel, and medicine is not restored.

The already dire humanitarian crisis is rapidly deteriorating.

The Israeli government’s order to a million Gazans to evacuate to the south–an impossible feat in 24 hours–suggests that a ground war and intensifying bombing are imminent.

Our most urgent task is preventing the further loss of life and an even greater humanitarian disaster than what we have already witnessed in Gaza. An all-out war would bring catastrophe to the entire region.

As hostilities escalate, they are fuelling a rise of Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism in Canada–which we also unequivocally condemn.

Beyond these immediate steps, the world must support efforts for a just and lasting peace in Israel-Palestine and address the root cause of the violence: Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory.

Palestinians, Israelis, and all people in the region deserve to live in peace and security and with justice for all.

Signatories: 

1. 350 Canada

2. Academic Foundation for Peace-Conflict Studies (AFPCS)

3. Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia (AMSSA)

4. Alter Acadie, New Brunswick

5. Alternatives

6. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association

7. ArtHouseTO

8. Asian Canadian Labour Alliance - British Columbia

9. Asian Canadian Labour Alliance - Ontario

10. Asian Canadian Women Alliance

11. Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians

12. Association of United Ukrainian Canadians

13. Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI)

14. Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network

15. Aura Freedom International

16. Black Lives Matter - Canada

17. Bridges Not Borders / Créons des ponts

18. Canada Social Work Students Collective for Palestine

19. Canada Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights

20. Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID) / L’association canadienne d’études du développement international (ACÉDI)

21. Canadian Boat to Gaza

22. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

23. Canadian Council for Refugees / Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés

24. Canadian Freelance Union / Le Syndicat canadien des pigistes (CLU)

25. Canadian Friends of Sabeel

26. Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)

27. Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR)

28. Canadian Palestinian Professional Foundation

29. Canadian Palestinian Social Association of London

30. Canadian Union of Postal Workers / Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes

31. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) / Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP)

32. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario / Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP) Ontario

33. Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

34. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

35. Center for Human Rights Research, University of Manitoba

36. Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)

37. Centre justice et foi

38. Child Care Now / Un enfant Une place

39. Citizen Rights Movement (CRM)

40. Climate Emergency Unit

41. Climate Justice Edmonton

42. Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations

43. Coalition of Child Care Advocates of British Columbia

44. Conscience Canada

45. Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain CSN

46. Conseil régional Montréal métropolitain FTQ

47. Council of Canadians - Campbell River

48. Council of Canadians - Edmonton

49. Council of Canadians - Fredericton

50. Council of Canadians - Hamilton

51. Council of Canadians - Kitchener-Waterloo

52. Council of Canadians - London

53. Council of Canadians - Mid-Island - Nanaimo

54. Council of Canadians - Powell River

55. Council of Canadians - Saskatoon

56. Council of Canadians - Victoria

57. Dogwood

58. Egyptian Canadian Collation for Democracy (ECCD)

59. Equality Fund / Fonds égalité

60. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

61. Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE)

62. Femmes de diverses origines / Women of diverse origins

63. Femmes en Mouvement du Québec

64. Filipinas of HamOnt

65. Fondation Béati / Béati Foundation

66. Fondation Oscar Romero

67. Force of Nature

68. Foyer du Monde / Home of the World

69. Fredericton Palestine Solidarity

70. Fridays for Future Manitoba

71. Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU)

72. Good To Be Good

73. Health Providers Against Poverty

74. Hearing Palestine

75. House of PainT

76. Human Concern International

77. Humanité & Inclusion Canada

78. Independent Jewish Voices Canada

79. Inspirit Foundation

80. International Coalition For Human Rights in the Philippines Canada

81. Iranian Canadian Congress

82. Jesuit Refugee Service Canada

83. Jewish Faculty Network

84. Justice for All Canada

85. Kairos Halifax

86. Kairos SWO

87. Kamloops Islamic Association

88. L’Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada

89. La Maison Turquoise

90. Law Union of Ontario

91. Le Centre de réfugiés / The Refugee Centre

92. Le CIBLES - Carrefour international bas-laurentien pour l'engagement social

93. Le Mouvement d'éducation populaire et d'action communautaire du Québec (MÉPACQ)

94. Living Skies Regional Council, The United Church of Canada

95. Maquila Solidarity Network

96. Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax

97. Médecins du Monde Canada / Doctors of the World Canada

98. Middle Eastern Society of the University of New Brunswick

99. Migrant Workers Centre of British Columbia

100. Montréal pour la paix

101. Montréal pour un monde sans guerre

102. Mothers for World Peace

103. Mouvement québécois pour la paix

104. National Council of Canadian Muslims

105. National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)

106. New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice / Front commun pour la justice sociale du Nouveau-Brunswick

107. Oblates Franciscaines de Saint-Joseph

108. On Canada Project Inc.

109. Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)

110. Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

111. Ottawa Forum Israel Palestine

112. Oxfam Canada

113. Oxfam Québec

114. PalNet Pacific Mountain

115. PalNet Shining Waters

116. Pastorale sociale de Côte-des-Neiges

117. Pastorale sociale de Rosemont

118. People for Peace, London

119. Photographers Without Borders

120. Point Blank

121. Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) / L'institut professionnel de la fonction publique du Canada (IPFPC)

122. Progress Belleville

123. Progress Toronto

124. Public Service Alliance of Canada / L’Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada

125. Rainbow Refugee Society

126. Refugee Health YYC

127. Regina Peace Council

128. Regroupement intersectoriel des organismes communautaires de Montréal

129. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal, Social Action Office

130. Run for Palestine

131. Save the Children Canada

132. Science for Peace

133. Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Toronto

134. Soeurs Auxiliatrices, Québec

135. Sojourn House

136. South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia

137. South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario

138. Sustainable Human Empowerment (SHE) Associates Inc.

139. Syndicat des enseignantes et enseignants du cégep Montmorency

140. Syndicats des travailleuses et des travailleurs de la CSN

141. Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)

142. Table ronde des organismes volontaires d’éducation populaire de l’Outaouais

143. The United Church of Canada

144. Toronto Artists for Palestine

145. Toronto Quakers Peace and Social Action Committee

146. Unifor

147. United Jewish People’s Order

148. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel

149. Urban Alliance on Race Relations

150. Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees

151. Victoria Peace Coalition

152. Victoria Raging Grannies

153. Wilderness Committee

154. Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism

155. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

156. Women’s Shelters Canada / Hébergement femmes Canada

157. World Beyond War