FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 JULY 2026
OTTAWA — Over seventy human rights, labour, faith, legal, and other civil society organizations from across Canada are speaking out in defence of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, its leadership, and its curatorial independence amidst organized pressure campaigns surrounding its exhibition Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present.
The signatories include the Union of National Employees, representing staff at the CMHR; the Visual Arts Alliance, whose members include the Canadian Museums Association; Amnesty International Canada; the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts; the United Church of Canada; the National Council of Canadian Muslims; the Jewish Faculty Network; and other organizations.
In an open letter published this morning, the organizations describe the exhibition as an important contribution to public understanding of Palestinian history and the continuing realities of displacement and dispossession.
The letter raises concern about campaigns seeking political intervention and institutional consequences for the museum and its leadership, including CEO Isha Khan. It also pushes back against commentary from elected officials, namely Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller, regarding the exhibition’s content, and emphasizes that political leaders must respect the independence of Canada’s arms-length public museums.
“The independence of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights cannot depend on whether politicians or advocacy organizations agree with every exhibition it presents,” said Nir Hagigi, a spokesperson for Independent Jewish Voices. “Protecting curatorial independence means defending it precisely when the history being presented is difficult, politically contested, or unfamiliar to some audiences.”
The organizations are calling on elected officials, community leaders, and members of the public to respect the institutional independence of the Museum. They are calling on the museum to remain steadfast in its commitment to independent, evidence-based curation. The letter ends by encouraging Canadians to visit the exhibition in a spirit of learning, reflection, and respectful dialogue.
“The Nakba is a foundational part of Palestinian history, and its past and present continues to shape Palestinian lives today,” said James Kafieh, Vice President of the Palestinian Canadian Congress. “Canadians should visit this exhibition, engage with the evidence and lived experiences it presents, and approach it with openness and a willingness to learn.”
“Canada’s human rights museum must be empowered to tell human rights stories without the threat of political interference,” said Michael Bueckert, Vice President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME). “Palestine Uprooted is an excellent resource that will introduce the Canadian public to an urgent and longstanding human rights issue that has rarely been given a chance to be heard.”
The complete statement and list of signatories are available at https://www.ijvcanada.org/defend-cmhr.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Corey Balsam
National Coordinator, Independent Jewish Voices
communications@ijvcanada.org
James Kafieh
Vice President, Palestinian Canadian Congress
james.kafieh@palcancongress.ca
Michael Bueckert,
Vice President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
michael.bueckert@cjpme.org