• Vancouver Talk: http://youtu.be/BT90UZ94mms
• Vancouver Q&A: http://youtu.be/duqYrHn-HgU
• Victoria Q&A: http://youtu.be/hw9OmFMtcbo

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25 October 2012 - A United Nations independent expert today called on the world body’s General Assembly, as well as civil society, to take action against Israeli and international businesses that are profiting from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“My main recommendation is that the businesses highlighted in the report – as well as the many other businesses that are profiting from the Israeli settlement enterprise – should be boycotted, until they bring their operations into line with international human rights and humanitarian law and standards,” the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, said in a news release issued as he presented a report on his work to the Assembly.

Nevertheless, the senators, all United Church members and from both the Conservative and Liberal parties, have taken a stand on a controversial issue before it comes to a vote in mid-August.

A working group established by the United Church has issued a report that proposes a boycott of all products from Jewish settlements in occupied lands, arguing the settlements are illegally eating away Palestinian lands and the hope for a two-state solution. But it also rejects a wholesale boycott of all Israeli goods.

In an email to the nine senators, Khaled Mouammar, former President of the Canadian Arab Federation, and a Palestinian Christian refugee from Nazareth, accuses the senators of ignoring the opinions of the majority of Canadians and, at the same time, ignoring Canada's official policy.

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Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet) statement of support for the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

In its founding statement, Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet) declared it aims to “change the policies and actions of the Canadian government so that these come to support the rights of the Palestinian people”. Specified were the Palestinians' right of return, an end to the Israeli occupation, and upholding the equal worth and dignity of persons regardless of their ethnic or religious identity, which affirms democratic rights and opposes apartheid structures. 

CanPalNet has pursued the achievement of these goals through building a base of popular understanding among Canadians of the real conditions of Palestinian life – in the occupied territories, inside pre-1967 Israel, and in the diaspora. Building this popular understanding by a variety of tactics – educational events, workshops, publications, demonstrations and more – and in a wide range of milieu -- is the foundation for changing Canadian government policy. We also have pursued tactics which bring direct pressure on the Israeli government. This includes, for example, building support for flotillas which have bravely challenged Israel’s outrageous and cruel siege of the women, children and men living in Gaza.

In July 2005 there was a unified call from popular organizations of the Palestinian people to initiate, build, and sustain a campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) to help end the injustices, injustices similar to those which CanPalNet too had identified in its founding statement. The statement from 170 Palestinian popular organizations, across a broad sector of their society, called for a BDS campaign to be developed and sustained until Israel:

• Ends its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantles the Wall;                                                                                                
• Recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and                                                                             
• Respects, protects and promotes the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.