Canadian BDS Coalition: 9+ Years and Counting

For a full review of our work over the last 9+ years, check out our Annual Reports.

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2016-17

A few highlights from over the years

June 2017

Tell Air Canada to end its complicity with Israel

The Canadian BDS coalition launched a major campaign to tell Air Canada we’re not on board with blatant complicity in Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people. The campaign was built on a several year long campaign of the Canada Palestine Association. The Coalition campaign was international and also included strong labour support in Canada.

November 2017

Air Canada terminates their main contract with Israel Areospace Industries

On November 5, 2017, the Canadian BDS Coalition announced that Air Canada had informed them that Air Canada had cancelled its contract with Israel Aerospace Industries midterm.

November 2018

Don’t Dance on the Ruins of Palestinian Childhood

Over 10,000 signatures on the campaign when BC Ballet and two other organizations danced under sponsorship of the Government of Canada, and the cities of Vancouver and Montreal, at the Israeli CanaDanse Festival.  The campaign initiated by Canada Palestine Association in Vancouver.

December 2018

Canadian Court Hands Important Victory to BDS Movement

A Canadian Court ruled that Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions activists were denied free speech and campaigning rights when the city of Montreal tore down their posters highlighting an Israeli atrocity during an election campaign in Canada. We discuss the case with bruce Katz, one of the main plaintiffs in the case.

April 2019

Victory: The Current is cut Between Hydro-Québec and Israel Electric

The Coalition BDS Québec announced that Hydro-Québec has declined to renew an agreement with its Israeli counterpart, Israel Electric.

May 2019

Partial Victory: Bombardier pulls out of Israeli settler railway

The Electronic Intifada broke the story on May 9, 2019. Member organization Just Peace Advocates, and Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq sent follow-up letters to Bombardier.

May 2019

Ramadan 2019: Be sure you know where your dates are from!

Fruit and vegetables are one of Israel’s biggest exports and all Israeli agricultural exporters are complicit in Israel’s violations of international law as they operate on stolen Palestinian land. In case of Medjoul the products are from the Jordan Valley in occupied Palestine, and therefore from an illegal settlement on stolen land. These are not from Israel, these are from illegal settlements.

June 2019

#RaptorsDontGo Say No to Brand Israel Sportswashing

The Raptors billionaire co-owner, Larry Tanenbaum, said he would bring the Raptors to visit Israel if they won the NBA title. The Canadian BDS Coalition calls]ed on each of the Raptors players to say NO to this offer by Tanenbaum.

July 2019

Boycott TEVA – Apartheid is BAD Medicine

The Canadian BDS Coalition joined the BDS Vancouver campaign Boycott TEVA-Apartheid is Bad Medicine. TEVA is an Israeli pharmaceutical company and one of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the world.

October 2019

#RaptorsDontGo Campaign Successful

The Canadian BDS Coalition in October 2019 that the campaign was a success; the 2019-20 NBA season began with no reported public team visit; and silence from all of the team owners on the issue. The campaign from the onset seemed to strike a chord with many people, both in Canada and globally.

November 2019

Courage Céline, Fellow Artists ask you to say NO to Apartheid

The Canadian BDS Coalition sent Céline Dion a letter from 50 fellow artists on International Day of Solidarity with teh Palestinian People. “Celine, you have been sensitive to social causes in the past and so we urge you to show real courage and say “no” to performing in Israel, a state that is practicing apartheid, ongoing illegal settler-colonialization and war crimes.”

August 2020

100K+ letters sent to Canadian MPs and Diplomats in support of Mahmoud Nawajaa

Prominent Palestinian human rights defender Mahmoud Nawajaa was taken from his family by Israeli occupation forces during a night raid. The Canadian BDS Coalition and Just Peace Advocates joined together for this letter writing campaign.

December 2020

#Boycott Puma

The Canadian BDS Coalition was one of almost 30 organizations in Canada, including unions, student associations and social justice groups, who endorsed this letter to Puma calling on them to end their sponsorship of the Israel Football Association.

May 2021

CPP investments continue to support Israeli war crimes

The Canadian BDS Coalition called on the CPPIB to take all steps necessary to ensure that the activities of all companies included in all of its portfolio are in compliance with international law governing war crimes.

August 2021

#NoIsraeliArms4Canada

The Canadian BDS Coalition, Just Peace Advocates and over 50 other civil society groups endorsed this call.

November 2021

Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Indigenous Land Defenders Under Attack

The Canadian BDS Coalition stands in strong solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people’s struggle to defend their territory from Canadian settler colonialism and the Coastal GasLink pipeline. The Coalition denounces what is the reflection of Canada’s own apartheid system.

December 2021

Boycott Israeli wines

The Canadian BDS Coalition and several member groups joined with the Canada Palestine Association in this campaign. Despite calls from multiple local organizations for a boycott of Israeli wines, many produced in occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories in the occupied West Bank and Syrian Golan , they continue to be sold in publicly owned BC Liquor Stores.

January 2023

RBC Prevails in holding unethical investment in Palantir

In 2021, over 10,000 letters were sent to RBC asking for them to break relations with Palantir Technologies Inc (PTI). Between then and January 2023, Palantir’s stocks plummeted by 70% in value. Meanwhile RBC financed the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

March 2023

This Ramadan pledge to not buy Apartheid Medjoul

For the fifth year the Canadian BDS Coalition provided information to support boycotting apartheid Medjoul and souring Palestinian medjoul.

June 2023

#ShutDownElbit

On June 3, Canada Palestine Association, Samidoun, BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish and others took action telling Scotiabank to #ShutElbitDown. Activists from local solidarity groups gathered at CBC to call for freedom for Walid Daqqah and all Palestinian prisoners. Then, they held a march and flash action at Scotiabank headquarters, to help launch the national campaign to demand that Scotiabank divest from the Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems.

November 2023

Activists around the world vow to #ShutElbitDown

Activists around the world vow to #ShutElbitDown. This Shame on Scotiabank/Shut Elbit Down campaign of the Canadian BDS Coalition gained momentum with actions across the
country throughout the year, including at the Scotiabank headquarter and at the Giller Prize
Ceremony.

December 2023

Apartheid is not stylish

Nike Canada, Laline Canada, Mango Canada or Fox Home were now managed by Fox Group, an Israeli based retailer. According to Who Profits, through its subsidiaries, Fox Group operates stores in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

December 2023

Boycott Indigo Books, no subsidies for war crimes

Boycotts of Indigo in Toronto took place weekly from 2006 to 2019, and in Montreal for many years, as well as other locations. The Canadian BDS Coalition endorsed a letter writing campaign to the CRA calling on an investigation into the HESEG Foundation. We also stood in solidarity with the Peace 11.

The Founding of the Canadian BDS Coalition:

The inaugural conference call was held in April 2016, with the indication that there was interest in moving towards a shared Basis of Unity in support of the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions. 

The Canadian BDS Coalition & International BDS Allies is composed of pro-Palestine solidarity groups. Members across Canada and globally work independently in support of boycott, divestment and sanctions activities against Israel, addressing local challenges and concerns. Read the full Basis of Unity.

Learn more about the Coalition.

Over the first five years there were about 25 members groups from across Canada. See the current members of the Coalition.