Toronto, 26th March 2026 – ICJP Canada has been made aware of an event being hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) student group ‘Students Supporting Israel’ (SSI) which aims to host soldiers of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) as part of ‘The Triggered: Ceaseless Tour’ who will share ‘first-hand experience’ of being enlisted in the IOF during its genocide in Gaza. The event is planned for today at an undisclosed location.

This is at least the fourth time over the past year that IOF soldiers have been hosted at such events in Toronto. Today’s event comes just four months after students were allegedly assaulted by an IOF soldier in Toronto for opposing a similar event.

Despite a new regulation requiring all TMU-affiliated groups to seek approval by the school for events, including ones that take place off campus, it appears that the TMU administration continues to allow these students to host IOF soldiers.

ICJP Canada extends its solidarity and support to TMU’s Students for Justice in Palestine, and echoes their demands for the TMU administration:  

Cancel ‘The Triggered: Ceaseless Tour’ on March 26th hosted by SSI, and implement and enforce clear policies to prohibit the participation or presence of foreign military personnel and representatives being hosted by university-sponsored clubs, university related events and/or in university spaces;  

Release a public statement condemning SSI’s past instances of platforming IOF soldiers, acknowledging the harm these events cause to our community, and affirm the right of students to engage in advocacy and protest, and guarantee that no student will face academic, disciplinary, or administrative sanctions for exercising those right; 

Implement clear policies to recognise Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR) as a distinct form of racism, as defined by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association, and ensure it is not conflated with Islamophobia or anti-Arab racism, and to integrate this recognition into the university’s harassment and discrimination policies; 

Remove SSI’s status as a student group from campus, revoking any privileges including, but not limited to, event bookings and access to campus spaces; 

and for TMU to divest the institution’s endowment, capital assets, and other financial holdings from companies, corporations, businesses, and portfolios that sustain Israeli apartheid, occupation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and/or other violent, oppressive acts enforced by Israel.  

ICJP Canada spokesperson, Asaf Rashid, said: 

“It is un-conscionable that Toronto Metropolitan University would allow, repeatedly, its affiliated student groups to host and amplify soldiers of a military that is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has also ruled Israel’s military actions in Gaza to be a genocide.  

The university’s priority should be ensuring all students, including Palestinians, feel safe.”  

ENDS 

Notes to 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, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].

Image: Sikander Iqbal via Wikimedia Commons