[antiwar-van] Call to Action! Demand that Canadian Gov't Condemn Israeli Massacres in Palestine!

[Kira Koshelanyk]

CALL TO ACTION! DEMAND THAT CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMN ISRAELI MASSACRES IN PALESTINE!

Dear Friends and Co-Fighters,

On Wednesday May 19, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) endorsed the call to action being made by the Canadian Arab Federation and supports their demand that the Canadian government join with many other world leaders including the UN Security Council and condemn outright the current Israeli atrocities being committed in the Gaza Strip. We are encouraging all other activists and defenders of humanity to join in this letter writing campaign to put pressure on world leaders at this critical time. Please sign the letter below and send it to Paul Martin, Prime Minister and Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs (or write our own) and pass it on to as many people as possible. Attached at the end is the original Canadian Arab Federation call out. 

In Solidarity,
Kira Koshelanyk & Shannon Bundock
MAWO, Co-Chairs




May 21, 2004


Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0A2
pm at pm.gc.ca


End the Occupation!  Self-determination for Palestinians!
 Since the beginning of May 2004, the State of Israel has dramatically increased its campaign of terror against the Palestinian people and for the past 20 days, has waged a brutal and all out war on their lives. In the first 10 days alone, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) demolished 131 homes in the Gaza Strip leaving more than 1,100 Palestinians homeless; and in the days following, doubled that number to more than 2,000. Citing "security reasons" as justification, the IDF has implemented a policy of collective punishment on the people of Gaza Strip and especially those in the refugee camp of Rafah. Aside from violating international law, the Geneva Conventions and the most recent UN security council resolution, #1544 adopted on May 19, against Israel's current assault, these attacks are a continuation of the Israeli governments aggression toward all Palestinians as part of the decades old occupation of their land and the operations the IDF carries out to try to ultimately kill the popular resistance for the right of Palestinians to self-determination and an end to the occupation.

 Human Rights organizations in Israel and Palestine report arbitrary shootings of residents, including children, and late Thursday night, Israel unleashed another helicopter missile attack bringing the death toll of Palestinians to 46 killed since Israel launched its invasion into Rafah on Tuesday, May 18. Through the closing of roads and checkpoints, people have been denied the simple right to return to their homes, emergency and humanitarian vehicles have been denied access to those in need of help and  injured patiends can't be transferred from the crowded Rafah hospital to larger  facilities in Gaza City.

__________________ joins the calls made by the Palestinian people for an end to these massacres and an end to the occupation. We also join with the Canadian Arab Federation in demanding that the Canadian government take a position against these atrocities and unequivocally condemn Israel's recent actions against civilians and homes in Gaza and demand that they cease immediately and withdraw all IDF forces from the Gaza Strip. The right to self-determination is an inalienable human right and the occupation of Palestine by Israel is a direct denial of that right; we join people the world over in raising the call for an end to this obscene attack against humanity and demand that our government do the same.

END THE OCCUPATION! SELF-DETERMINATION FOR PALESTINIANS!

Sincerely,



______________________





Montreal Muslim News <montreal at montrealmuslimnews.net> wrote: 

  Date: 19 May 2004 19:33:05 -0000
  From: "Montreal Muslim News" 

  Subject: ACTION ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Gaza atrocities are mounting and Canadian government remains silent - Please write to the PM and Bill Graham

  ACTION ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Gaza atrocities are mounting and Canadian government remains silent - Please write to the PM and Bill Graham 

  May 20, 2004 (Generated by Canadian Arab Federation: info at caf.ca )

  The atrocities against Palestinians in Rafah are mounting. The attacks have seen largely unarmed Palestinians civilians assaulted by missiles, tank shells and bullets. B't Selem documented severe harm to the civilian population, including deaths, injury to medical teams, obstruction of medical care, house demolitions, and damage to infrastructure including roads, water and electricity. Today alone more than 20 Palestinians were killed in a peaceful demonstration protesting the Israeli military assault. Many international bodies including the Amnesty International, the UN, the EU and major governments have condemned these actions. Canada has remained noticeably silent. Please write to the Prime Minister Paul Martin and Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and your MP to immediately demand that they not only condemn these war crimes, but also to provide international protection for the Palestinian civilian population that is subjugated to grave human rights violations tantamount to war crimes. See the action points listed below. 

  Israel is in the process of committing major war crimes with total impunity. Consider the following facts. 

  a.. In the first 10 days of May 2004, Israel's demolition of 131 residential buildings in Gaza left 1,100 Palestinians homeless. 

  a.. Five days later, continued Israeli demolition operations doubled the number of homeless since the beginning of May 2004 to 2,197 Palestinians. 

  a.. The total number of people to lose their homes in the Gaza Strip is 18,382 since the start of the Second Intifada in September 2000. 

  a.. The majority of the demolitions this month have taken place in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, where 12,600 people had already been made homeless by demolitions since the Intifada began. 

  a.. On 11 May 2004, Israel killed 15 Palestinians in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, including 4 children, and injured at least 200 others, including 35 children. 

  a.. On 13 May 2004, Israel killed 12 Palestinians in Rafah, including a child, and injured at least 20 others. 

  a.. By 15 May 2004, two days after the 13 May invasion began, a total of 14 Palestinian civilians had been killed and 30 injured in Rafah, with 80 homes destroyed, leaving 880 Palestinians homeless. 

  Original AP caption: The bodies of Palestinian Ahmed Mughayer, 13, and his sister Asma, 16, right, are wrapped in blankets after being brought from the Talesultan area of the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 18, 2004. Both were on the roof of their three-story apartment building when they were hit by army fire, said their older brother, Ali. The shots were fired from an Israeli army position on the sixth floor of the neighboring building, he said. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer) 


  a.. On 18 May 2004, ongoing Israeli raids in Rafah resulted in the death of 19 more Palestinians, including 2 children. Ahmad Mughayaer, 13, and his sister Asma, 16 (see photo right), were shot in the heads by Israeli snipers located on the 6th floor of a building as they hung washing out on the 3rd story roof of their neighbouring apartment building. 

  a.. Rafah continues to experience ongoing Israeli military operations at the time of publishing this alert. 

  (Source: PCHR/UNRWA) 


  TAKE ACTION 

  A large mobilization of international public opinion on behalf of the people of Rafah demanding that those with power and responsibility act to end these war crimes can make a difference. 

  Key points should include: 

  a.. Immediate intervention to demand the protection of Palestinian civilians and Palestinian homes in Gaza -- particularly in Rafah refugee camp, which is the focus of the current Israeli military operations. 

  a.. A call for governments to unequivocally condemn Israel's recent actions against Palestinian civilians and homes in Gaza. 

  a.. Tell the PM and Foreign Affairs Minister to vote for the coming Security Council resolution about the situation in Gaza. 

  Circulate this page, write letters to your local newspaper, convince others to take action. Write to Prime Minister Sharon, and to your Israeli ambassador, reminding them that the IDF is not upholding its obligations under international humanitarian law: it is forbidden to shoot civilians who take no part in hostilities; the wounded must be evacuated as quickly as possible; it is forbidden to demolish houses, except as a last resort in the course of fighting; it is forbidden to employ collective punishments of the civilian population. 

  Contact info: 
  The Right Honourable Paul Martin 
  Prime Minister of Canada 
  Office of the Prime Minister 
  80 Wellington Street 
  Ottawa, Ontario 
  Canada K1A 0A2 
  Telephone Number (613) 992-4211 
  Fax Number (613) 941-6900 
  Email Address: pm at pm.gc.ca 

  The Honourable Bill Graham 
  Minister, Foreign Affairs 
  Government of Canada 
  The House of Commons 
  Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 
  Fax Number 613-996-9607 
  Email Address: Graham.B at parl.gc.ca
  _____________________________________________________


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