Lawyers file complaint over Israeli settlement properties marketed in Canada

Analysis

A complaint filed with the Competition Bureau alleges Israeli real estate events in Toronto and Montreal marketed properties in occupied Palestinian territories under false pretences. The filing by the Global Echo Litigation Center and Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights targets at least four Israeli companies and one Canadian marketing firm. It claims they promoted West Bank properties while leading consumers to believe they were located within Israel. The Competition Bureau confirmed it will review the complaint to decide if an investigation is warranted. James Yap, president of the lawyers' association, warned Canadian buyers could face serious international legal consequences, including potential complicity in war crimes.

"The Canadian government talks a lot about upholding international law," Yap said. "We have our prime minister bemoaning the deterioration of the international rules-based order. They condemn the settlements as illegal. They talk about taking steps, taking action. This is a chance for the Canadian government to actually take action." The Canadian position, shared by much of the international community, is that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The federal government issued guidance in August advising businesses to avoid dealings with settlements due to legal and financial risks.

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Promotional materials from events

Filed on behalf of six Canadians, the complaint includes photos and promotional materials from events held between 2024 and 2026. At the 2024 Great Israeli Real Estate Event in Montreal, one company's booth advertised condo projects in the West Bank settlements of Ma'ale Adumim and Adam. The booth's messaging invited attendees to find their "dream home in Israel." Another exhibitor at the same event presented itself as "your real estate agency in Jerusalem," listing four West Bank settlements alongside two Israeli cities. That company's website explicitly states its homes in Efrat, Mitzpe Yericho and Ma'ale Adumim are located in Israel.

A Canadian marketing firm listed a West Bank condo development as being in Israel on its website. At the 2026 Israel Real Estate Briefing in Toronto, the same firm used the tagline "own a piece of Jerusalem" to promote a project in the Givat HaMatos settlement in East Jerusalem. The lawyers argue this ambiguous phrasing does not protect the companies from allegations of misleading advertising. They contend that holding the promotions at events with names like "Great Israeli Real Estate Event" created a false general impression about the properties' locations.

The legal test and political context

Canadian advertising law uses a "general impression" test to determine if marketing is false or misleading. An advertisement can violate the Competition Act if it omits essential information that would influence a consumer's decision, even if it is literally true. Competition law expert Ariel Katz, who reviewed the complaint, said he found the evidence compelling but could not predict if the bureau would launch an inquiry. "This is a highly politically charged topic, right? So whatever decision they make, they might be under enormous pressure," Katz said.

Israel disputes the international consensus, arguing settlements are not illegal due to Jewish historical ties to the land. Katz noted that while the complaint focuses on false advertising, the properties themselves are considered illegal under international law. The lawyers involved say they are considering future legal action directly challenging the legality of the properties. Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions from The Canadian Press about whether selling West Bank property is illegal in Canada or if purchasers face liability.

International circuit and local impacts

Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man, founder of Global Echo Litigation Center, said her firm tracks similar real estate events in the U.S., U.K., France and other countries. She said Canada's response to the complaint could "pave the way" for other nations to crack down on such sales. Complainant Marlee Wasser, a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, said selling settlement property in Canada normalizes what she calls genocide in the West Bank, where settlers have attacked and displaced Palestinians. Wasser also connected the events to broader protest restrictions in Canada. She noted that after protesters demonstrated outside a Vaughan, Ont., synagogue hosting an Israeli real estate event in 2024, the mayor proposed a bubble zone bylaw. The bylaw, which passed, restricts protests near places of worship, schools and hospitals. Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra, a community engagement manager with the litigation centre, said the complaint is a chance for Canada to do "what's right." Adra, who made the documentary "No Other Land" about a destroyed West Bank community, described daily settlement construction and said settlers recently cut down olive trees on his family's land.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC News