Peter Larson is an independent researcher and blogger in Ottawa, Canada.
His professional career included periods at the Public Policy Forum, the Conference Board of Canada, Le Droit, and as a consultant to labour unions and federal government departments and agencies.
For the last 12 years, he has taken a particular interest in human rights issues in the Middle East, visiting Israel, Iran, Jordan, Egypt and the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza. He has also led many trips to Israel/Palestine for Canadians interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the complex Israel/Palestine issue.
He is a frequent lecturer for church and labour groups, retiree associations and service clubs. His presentations are appreciated for being fact based and balanced. He also teaches a course on Israel/Palestine at Ottawa’s Carleton University in its Learning in Retirement Program.
He was the founding Chair of the Middle East Study Group of the Canadian International Council (National Capital Region), and was also a board member of the National Council on Canada Arab Relations, and the first chair of its National Education Committee on Israel/Palestine. In 2012, he was awarded The Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada in recognition of his educational work on Canada Arab relations.
Peter graduated in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1968. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy from Université de Grenoble, France. In addition to English, he speaks fluent French and passable Italian and Spanish. He lives in Ottawa, Canada.
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
Good work, Peter:
Inclusion of links to major social media sites is commendable. Long a sceptic of the value of taking time to enter into “Friending” routine, I now see this as perhaps a more effective way to counter disinformation than submitting letters to the editors of our mainstream press. I’ve therefore started to post items on Facebook … including a reference to your blog.
Allan
Israel is literally getting away genocide. In my view, it is a rogue state. Do you think Israel should be charged with war crimes against humanity and brought to justice before the World Court at the Hague? A a Jew who is outraged by Israel’s actions, I would like to see this happen. No state should be allowed to perpetrate such crimes on another people and not pay the price. In saying this, I realize that only another state can bring charges in the World Court. Which state might do this?
Hey Manuel,
I am not clear on who gets to bring charges to the World Court or the International Criminal Court. Perhaps a lawyer can help us. I am not opposed to bringing Israel’s leaders to some international court, but I am personally more focused on truth and reconciliation than on crime and punishment. South Africa, and to some degree in Chile, have demonstrated, I think, that this is more likely to facilitate a solution than one focused on the punishment of evil doers.
Your fervent concern for justice being meted out is overwhelming. Can I read your pieces on the toxic Royal Family of Saudi Arabia; can you include your imploring nations to bring Putin and company to the World Court….North Korea fit into your schedule? or the list of African atrocities, can we see your archive of exhortations against Khadaffi, Sadaam, Mubarek, Assad?…….Much appreciated.
While I agree that “truth and reconciliation” are more important in the long run than are “crime and punishment,” I cannot see the current Israeli leadership ever being willing to subject themselves to the process of the former, because they are unable to look beyond themselves to see the wider view that includes the Palestinians. At the moment, there is a “ceasefire,” but what is being done to make it permanent? Certainly, nothing on the Israeli side that I have heard of. Have you heard of anything, Peter? It seems to me that Israeli leaders feel it is in the best interests of their state to wage war against the Palestinians until they have been driven from the country in their entirety, biblical style. In the end, what would they have? It would likely be a dictatorship. Perhaps that is what they want. — Manuel Erickson
Hey Manuel,
I agree that the current Israeli government is not interested in “truth and reconciliation”. But neither were the South African governments until apartheid was finally ended. its going to be very hard for Israelis to own up to what they have done, and to say “sorry”, and offer to strike a new deal with the Palestinians. It is going to be almost as difficult for Palestinians to say “I accept your apology”, and agree to work on a new deal with the Israelis. But I don’t think there is any other way out of this.
Helpful info. Lucky me I discovered your website accidentally, and I am stunned why this accident didn’t took place earlier!
I bookmarked it.
Great work Peter.
Extremely interesting posts.
Janan Arafa
APAC
Excelente trabajo Peter, disculpa pero tengo una pregunta, Alguna vez has viajado a Queretaro? Saludos Carlos Aviles.
I am glad someone has decided to comment on the ‘loose cannons” in the Israeli army!
Thank you Peter Larson!
I am from Vancouver and I wanted to say that Trudeau should be condemned for supporting Israeli Apartheid.,Canada is part of the problem with regard to Palestine because of its support for Israel.There can be no peace with Israeli apartheid.Trudeau should be supporting the BDS campaign against Israel not the Apartheid Israeli gov’t.