Latest news with #IsraelHamasConflict
Globe and Mail
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
RCMP investigating Israel-Hamas conflict for possible war crimes
The RCMP is engaged in an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the continuing conflict between Israel and Hamas. In a statement released Wednesday, the RCMP said that it initiated a structural investigation in early 2024, which is 'a broad, intelligence-led intake process designed to collect, preserve and assess information potentially relevant under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.' The act implements Canada's obligations under the Rome Statute, that treaty that established the International Criminal Court. 'The RCMP remains committed to its mandate under Canadian law, to assess credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity,' the RCMP said. The investigation includes gathering open-source material and voluntary submissions, the RCMP said, and the intent is to collect information that could support future investigative steps, if jurisdictional and legal thresholds are met. The RCMP is also investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine. Opinion: The RCMP investigation on the Gaza war shows Canada's approach to Israel could be changing According to the Department of Justice, the intention of Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program is to 'deny safe haven in Canada to persons believed to have committed or been complicit in such crimes, and to seek accountability for their conduct.' The program is undertaken by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Department of Justice and the RCMP. The Toronto Star first reported on Monday that the RCMP was investigating potential war crimes related to the Israel and Hamas conflict. The Globe and Mail asked the RCMP a series of questions on Tuesday, but the force did not respond. On Wednesday, the RCMP released a statement saying that because of recent media coverage about its investigation related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, it sought to clarify information. The RCMP sought to urge the public to refrain from drawing conclusions, adding: 'This initiative is solely focused on collecting relevant information and does not target any community or group.' It said that it has a protocol to triage and process information related to global conflicts, which is a standard initial procedure and is the foundation for every case, 'after which specialized investigative techniques are applied to address the unique aspects of each investigation, including the Israel-Hamas structural investigation.' 'Should a perpetrator of core international crimes – such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity – with the appropriate nexus to Canada be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation.' So far, the RCMP said it has not done so. The statement said the structural investigation had not been publicly announced because the RCMP is developing 'essential supporting operational tools,' including a secure online portal, which will be available in English, French, Hebrew and Arabic, to facilitate submissions. Technical challenges, the statement continued, have resulted in delays. The RCMP said it will advise the public when the online portal is ready. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault that killed more than 1,200 people. Hamas abducted 251 people and is still holding 58 hostages, about one-third of whom are thought to be alive. Many of the hostages have been released under previous temporary ceasefires or agreements. Israel's military has killed more than 54,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. For weeks United Nations agencies have warned that people living in Gaza are at risk of famine. Mark Kersten, an assistant professor at the University of the Fraser Valley and consultant at the Wayamo Foundation, a Berlin-based non-profit that works to strengthen the rule of law and promote justice for international and transnational crimes, said the statement from the RCMP on its work raises a lot of questions. Mr. Kersten said it is striking that the RCMP launched a structural investigation before having the online portal set up, which will allow people to voluntarily provide information or evidence, and that it waited more than a year to acknowledge this. He wondered if the structural investigation into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had the same challenges. 'If the RCMP was doing such open-ended work without any concrete commitment to accountability, why would it take one-and-a-half years to say anything about it?' Mr. Kersten said the RCMP 'seems to be at pains to explain what it is not doing – any criminal investigation into atrocity crimes – with very little in terms of what it is doing. And if it won't commit to pursuing any criminal prosecutions in its structural investigation, then why would people submit their evidence to the portal?' With a report from The Associated Press
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
RCMP says it will collect info on possible war crimes in Gaza war
An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA — The RCMP says it will 'proactively' collect information about possible war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israel-Hamas armed conflict. In a Wednesday statement, the Mounties stressed that they have no criminal investigations underway but they want to collect information on possible crimes by any party involved in the conflict. 'The primary objective is to proactively collect relevant information that may support future investigative steps, should jurisdictional and legal thresholds be met,' says the statement. The statement came from the force's Ontario division based in London, and not from the headquarters in Ottawa. The RCMP says it initiated 'a structural investigation' in 'early 2024' of the conflict that started in October 2023, when Hamas militants brazenly attacked Israel and took dozens of hostages, prompting Israel to bombard the Gaza Strip and restrict food deliveries. 'A structural investigation is a broad, intelligence-led intake process designed to collect, preserve, and assess information potentially relevant under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. This includes gathering open-source material and voluntary submissions from individuals wishing to provide information,' the statement says. The RCMP said that this is standard procedure and the force hasn't initiated any criminal probes. 'Should a perpetrator of core international crimes — such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity — with the appropriate nexus to Canada be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation,' the statement reads. The force says it has faced technical delays in rolling out 'a secure online portal available in French, English, Hebrew and Arabic, to facilitate (investigations) and secure any submissions of information by the public and potential witnesses.' 'We urge the public to refrain from drawing premature conclusions about the RCMP's role or intent,' the statement wrote. 'This initiative is solely focused on collecting relevant information and does not target any community or group.' The RCMP statement comes after the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs suggested that talk of war crimes probes encourage 'false narratives' that can fuel a rise in antisemitic violence. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group advocating for Palestinians, has asked the RCMP to probe Canadian citizens serving in the Israeli military in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, given 'the serious likelihood that they are involved in the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025 Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Two activists convicted of harassing justice minister over Israel-Hamas conflict
Two pro-Palestinian activists who accused a Government minister of supporting genocide relating to the Israel- Hamas conflict have been convicted of harassment. Ayeshah Behit, 31, and Hiba Ahmed, 26, were found guilty of the charge against Alex Davies-Jones, the Labour MP for Pontypridd, following a trial at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Monday. They had filmed a confrontation with Ms Davies-Jones, a justice minister, who had been campaigning in the village of Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in the lead-up to the general election, on June 26 last year. Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring found both defendants guilty of harassment and sentenced them to a conditional discharge and fine. Giving evidence during the trial, Ms Davies-Jones told the court she was 'terrified' after being confronted by the two activists. As she made her way to the campaign meeting place, she saw Behit and Ahmed with leaflets describing her as a 'full-blown supporter of this genocide' – referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Ms Davies-Jones said: 'They asked me about the ceasefire and why I had abstained. I clarified I hadn't abstained, I wasn't in the country, I was paired in that vote. 'It was escalating in terms of passion and intensity. We walked off in the opposite direction. We felt scared and intimidated, and we wanted to leave the situation. 'I had a number of young members with me. They already felt uncomfortable, I didn't want them to feel more at risk. 'They began to follow us. They were shouting and bellowing down the street at us – 'why do you support genocide, why are you murdering babies, Alex Davies-Jones, do you support genocide?'' Later in the day, Behit and Ahmed put posters on the Labour office in Pontypridd – the base of Ms Davies-Jones' campaign for the general election – that referred to politicians 'enabling genocide'. They also placed stickers in black capital letters reading 'Alex Davies-Jones how many murdered children is too many?' on the office and a poster reading 'Alex Davies-Jones supports genocide' on a bus stop, while a video of the confrontation was uploaded onto social media describing Ms Davies-Jones as racist. Asked about how their actions made her feel, the politician, who was first elected as MP for Pontypridd in 2019, told the court: 'I was terrified. 'I was worried because of the risk to my team and supporters, and my reputation given it was the general election and what that would mean.' Sentencing, Mr Goldspring told Ahmed and Behit: 'This was part of a deliberate and sustained campaign targeting the complainant. 'This course of conduct was clearly designed to cause alarm and distress to her and she did experience alarm and distress. She stopped canvassing. 'It was not reasonable and it was oppressive.' The judge said the defendants did have rights to freedom of speech but this case went 'beyond the boundaries' of this protection and was 'beyond robust scrutiny or political process'. He sentenced Ahmed, a final year architecture student at Cardiff University with no previous convictions, to a 12-month conditional discharge. Behit, who has a conviction relating to a protest in Cardiff last year, received an 18-month conditional discharge. They were both ordered to pay £650 costs and a £26 court surcharge, at a rate of £20 per month. Mr Goldspring added: 'I would love to say you are remorseful. I suspect you are not. 'I suspect your views will be held until something happens very differently in that area of the world.' Ahmed, giving evidence, said she and Behit lived in Treforest and had wanted to raise awareness of Ms Davies-Jones' actions on Palestine ahead of the election. She said the defendants, both of Treforest, had planned to hand out and post leaflets that afternoon when they saw their MP coming towards them. Ahmed said: 'I was genuinely really surprised when I saw her. I've lived in Treforest for a couple of years, I've never seen her. 'It was like seeing a celebrity almost, like a unicorn in the wild.' Ahmed said the action taken against Ms Davies-Jones 'wasn't really about her, it was about Palestine'. Behit told the court: 'She was running for MP and where I lived there were posters everywhere. It was constant, everywhere you looked was pro-Alex. 'My intention was to show a different perspective, to get people to do their own research. It was never about Alex as a person. 'Part of her job as an MP is having people look at her policies, her opinions and how she voted.' Speaking outside court, Behit confirmed that both defendants would appeal against their convictions. In a statement shared after the convction, Ms Davies-Jones said: 'As the Minister for Victims in the UK Government, I know all too well how difficult it can feel to experience crime and go through the criminal justice system – but I also know how important it is to do so. 'I want to thank South Wales Police, the witness support officers, and the Chief Magistrate for their service to our justice system. 'I am not the first politician to experience this kind of abuse, and unfortunately probably won't be the last. I have great admiration for colleagues of all political parties who are working hard to serve their constituents – we should be able to do so freely and safely. 'I am always happy to engage in constructive debate and discuss differing views with any of my constituents. It's an honour to serve my community and I try to be as accessible as possible. 'What today's verdict has shown is that harassment and intimidation of politicians is unacceptable. We are human beings doing our jobs. And now, I'm back to getting on with mine.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Justice minister ‘terrified' by actions of pro-Palestinian activists, court told
A Government minister has told a court she was 'terrified' after being confronted by two pro-Palestinian activists while campaigning in the lead-up to the general election. Alex Davies-Jones, the Labour MP for Pontypridd, gave evidence at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Monday in the trial of Ayeshah Behit, 31, and Hiba Ahmed, 26, who deny harassment. The court heard how Ms Davies-Jones, a justice minister, had arrived in the village of Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on the afternoon of June 26 last year. As she made her way to the campaign meeting place, she saw Behit and Ahmed with leaflets describing her as a 'full-blown supporter of this genocide' – referring to the Israel- Hamas conflict. Ms Davies-Jones told the court: 'I was asked a number of questions around the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and my conduct as an MP, if I had taken part in votes, membership of organisations such as Labour Friends of Israel. 'They asked me about the ceasefire and why I had abstained. I clarified I hadn't abstained, I wasn't in the country, I was paired in that vote. 'It was escalating in terms of passion and intensity. We walked off in the opposite direction. We felt scared and intimidated, and we wanted to leave the situation. 'I had a number of young members with me. They already felt uncomfortable, I didn't want them to feel more at risk. 'They began to follow us. They were shouting and bellowing down the street at us – 'why do you support genocide, why are you murdering babies, Alex Davies-Jones, do you support genocide?'' Ms Davies-Jones said her group walked into the University of South Wales campus, then continued their campaigning but saw Behit and Ahmed about 20 minutes later. She described how Labour volunteers were knocking on doors and talking to constituents, followed by the two defendants handing out leaflets and claiming she 'supported genocide and murdering babies'. The team decided to finish early but discovered one of their vehicles had been 'covered with stickers and leaflets', Ms Davies-Jones said. Later that day, Behit and Ahmed put posters on the Labour office – the base of Ms Davies-Jones' campaign for the general election – in Pontypridd that referred to politicians 'enabling genocide'. They also placed stickers in black capital letters reading 'Alex Davies-Jones how many murdered children is too many?' on the office, and a poster reading 'Alex Davies-Jones supports genocide' on a bus stop. When asked about how their actions made her feel, Ms Davies-Jones told the court: 'I was terrified. 'I was worried because of the risk to my team and supporters, and my reputation given it was the general election and what that would mean. 'I was scared about what things they were going to do and what they were doing.' A video of the confrontation was then uploaded onto social media, with the caption describing Ms Davies-Jones as racist. She added: 'The abuse was endless. It was awful. It was relentless. I felt under attack. The video was clipped and manipulated in a way that made it seem I had lied.' Ms Davies-Jones said that as a result of the incident, she reduced campaigning sessions and had to be accompanied by close protection officers. The politician, who was first elected as MP for Pontypridd in 2019, described the murders of fellow MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess as 'devastating'. 'They have an impact on all of us,' Ms Davies-Jones said. 'They have changed our lives fundamentally in how we live and work.' Giving evidence, Ahmed said she and Behit lived in Treforest and had wanted to raise awareness of Ms Davies-Jones' actions on Palestine ahead of the election. She said the defendants, both of Treforest, had planned to hand out and post leaflets that afternoon when they saw their MP coming towards them. Ahmed said: 'I was genuinely really surprised when I saw her. I've lived in Treforest for a couple of years, I've never seen her. 'It was like seeing a celebrity almost, like a unicorn in the wild. 'I took the video because I thought nobody would believe me. It was a surprise when she approached us and said hi and she was willing to have a conversation. 'It felt like a really normal conversation between people who don't agree on something. 'Have you ever seen MPs talk to each other in the House of Commons? They can be quite brutal to each other.' Ahmed said it was her first time leafleting, having previously emailed Ms Davies-Jones and taken part in peaceful protest. 'This wasn't really about her, it was about Palestine,' she said. Behit told the court: 'She was running for MP and where I lived there were posters everywhere. It was constant, everywhere you looked was pro-Alex. 'My intention was to show a different perspective, to get people to do their own research. It was never about Alex as a person. 'Part of her job as an MP is having people look at her policies, her opinions and how she voted.' Both defendants deny that their actions amounted to harassment. Their trial continues.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
CUNY Labor School honcho spreads ‘antisemitic' conspiracy and lies about Gaza war: critics
A top CUNY official is spreading 'antisemitic' conspiracy theories and lies that Israel was in on or welcomed Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre as a 'pretext' to take over the Gaza strip, critics fume. Arthur Cheliotes, 76, the board chairman of CUNY's School of Labor and Urban Studies, posted an online thread that compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, too. Cheliotes, who was instrumental in founding the CUNY 'social justice' Labor School, reposted on Facebook a series of conspiracies and falsehoods under the heading, 'What Israel Doesn't Want You to Know,' and accompanied by a picture of Netanyahu and the Israeli Star of David flag. It says: '1. Egypt warned Israel — twice.'2. Israel gave Hamas $200 million in cash.'3. 2/3 of IDF Troops were pulled from [the] Gaza border 3 days before.'4. Israel invoked the Hannibal Directive — killing their own to prevent hostage-taking.'5. Bodies were moved to the music festival. No explanation given.'6. Border surveillance footage deleted.'7. Lies about 'beheaded babies and mass rape' were pushed — none confirmed.' The message then closes with, 'They wanted a pretext. Gaza was the goal.' In another post, the CUNY big — who served as president of the Communication Workers of America Local 1180 for 39 years — shows a picture side by side of Hitler and the Nazi flag in the year 1939 with Netanyahu and the Israeli flag in 2023. A CUNY insider who has known Cheliotes for years was stunned by the posts. 'I'm blown away. I'm saddened. These are bogus conspiracy theories that are at odds with the truth,' the source said. Former longtime City University Board of Trustees Jeffrey Wiesenfeld fumed, 'This man is an imbecile and antisemite.' There are legitimate criticisms that Israel's intelligence and security underestimated the threat from Hamas, Wiesenfeld said. The terrorists' Oct. 7, 2023 attack caught Israel defenses off guard, slaughtering 1,200 and triggering the brutal retaliatory war in Gaza. 'The worst thing you can do the martyrdom of 1,200 people who were killed. Of course this is antisemitic,' Wiesenfeld said. 'This man is disgrace to New York City, to union leadership and to CUNY.' Weisenfeld said President Trump and his team fighting antisemitism at Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard should pivot to CUNY 'where there's enough trash to clean up for a long time.' Cheliotes, who was instrumental over 40 years in setting up labor programs at CUNY and creating the the Labor school, defended his postings during a Sunday interview. 'These positions seem reasonable to me,' said Cheliotes, who has chaired the CUNY Labor school's advisory board since its creation. Asked if any of the seven points were conspiratorial or falsehoods, Cheliots, 'I don't know? Are they?' He claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin is taking certain actions to extend the Gaza war to avoid prosecution of criminal indictments against him and jail time. 'You create a crisis to stay in power and create a circustmance to harm your people. That's what I think Netanyahu has done,' said Chelioties, doubling down on the conspiracy theory. '[Netanyanu] allowed the circumstances to allow [the Oct. 27,2023 Hamas attack] to happen. Cheliotes shot down claims that he's a Jew hater, noting his mother was under Nazi occupation in Greece. His father fought the Nazis in the US military during World II and two uncles fought the Nazi occupation in Greece. He visited Israel twice and supports its people. 'I'm particularly sensitive to anyone who claims I'm antisemitic,' said Cheliotes. CUNY declined to comment. Anti-Israel protests have marred some of CUNY's campuses. Last month, Brooklyn College saw anti-Israel student agitators brawl with cops after they set up a tent encampment — with one officer being forced to fire a Taser to subdue a violent protester. In another frightening incident last year, anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage and the need for costly extra security at taxpayer-funded City College's campus in Upper Manhattan during a violent protest there last year. CUNY officials said they've moved to tamp down on Israel-bashing, antisemitism and other form of discrimination of their campuses. Still, reports of campus antisemitism are of such concern that Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a review of Jew-hatred at CUNY campuses in 2023. The analysis — released last September and overseen by former state chief judge Jonathan Lippman –concluded that CUNY needed a top-to-bottom overhaul to combat 'alarming'' antisemitism fanned by its own faculty and do-nothing higher-ups.
