Ottawa, 28th August 2026 – Following a joint submission by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) and the Legal Centre for Palestine (LCP), Canadian authorities have denied entry to the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Arieh King.
We welcome the decision by Canadian authorities to act on the facts and evidence outlined in our submission. As a facilitator of ethnic cleansing in occupied East Jerusalem, Arieh King’s actions are not only illegal under international law – they also constitute clear violations of Canadian domestic law.
ICJP and LCP’s inadmissibility submission, made in response to King’s planned visit to Toronto and Montreal, set out reasonable grounds to believe that King has engaged in serious criminality and crimes against humanity, including the forcible transfer and persecution of Palestinians as crimes against humanity.
The planned visit was arranged in connection with the Israel Land Fund, which King founded and through which he has worked to advance the confiscation and transfer of Palestinian properties in occupied East Jerusalem to Israeli settlers. King was due to speak and fundraise for the organisation during his scheduled visit to Canada.
King is a prominent figure in Israel’s settlement enterprise in occupied East Jerusalem and has played a direct role in efforts to dispossess Palestinians of their homes and facilitate the transfer of those properties to settlers.
Through his political position and his work with the Israel Land Fund, he has helped advance settlement projects in Palestinian neighbourhoods including Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, contributing to the forcible displacement and persecution of Palestinian families.
His record also includes repeated anti-Palestinian incitement and attacks on humanitarian organisations serving Palestinians, including UNRWA. These are not abstract political positions: they form part of a sustained campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem and entrench an unlawful settlement enterprise in their place.
An ICJP spokesperson said:
“Canada’s decision to bar Arieh King from entering the country is a welcome and important step towards accountability. It shows that Canada is prepared to act when there are reasonable grounds to believe an individual has been involved in serious international crimes.
We are glad to see the Canadian authorities take our submission seriously and uphold Canada’s obligations under international and domestic law. This is a significant victory for accountability and for the principle that those responsible for serious crimes should not be given safe harbour.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
