Montreal: Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) on Tuesday welcomed the Canadian government's announcement that it intends to restrict trade with illegal Israeli settlements, calling it a major step forward while urging Ottawa to go even further.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Montreal-based advocacy group said it would press to ensure the coming policy extends beyond imported goods to also cover trade in services, investment, and property. "This is a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement and everyone who wants Canadian trade policy to uphold human rights and international law," said Yara Shoufani, CJPME's president.

She emphasized that Canada had long facilitated illicit trade with Israeli settlement businesses, including through the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, adding that the announcement "marks the first time that Israel will face material, economic consequences for its blatant violations of international law."

The move was coordinated with 11 European countries and follows years of advocacy from the Palestine solidarity movement and human rights experts. Canada's joint statement praised bans on settlement trade already adopted by Ireland, Spain, and Norway, and pledged national measures against trade in settlement goods.

Shoufani remarked that Canada should seize what she called "a critical moment" to take global leadership, by "imposing the most effective measures possible against Israel's entire illegal settler enterprise" amid rising settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank.

CJPME further noted that it will publish a report this week on Canada's trade with Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.