In June 2002, many of you endorsed CanPalNet’s public statement calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands conquered in 1967. That full-page statement with signatories from across Canada was published in the Georgia Straight in Vancouver and the Now newspaper in Toronto.

Regrettably, the human and political situation in Palestine-Israel has deteriorated significantly since 2002. It is against the background of this crisis that supporters of Israeli state policies and practices are organizing a “celebration” of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the country. George Bush and Nicolas Sarkozy are among the international leaders who will visit Israel in May 2008 to mark the event. In the U.S., George Bush SR. and Bill Clinton have been enlisted to serve as the honourary co-chairs of the national committee for Israel-60. There will be tremendous hoopla and hype around this event and we expect that Canadian politicians and other prominent public figures will be invited to join these “celebrations” as a similar campaign is mounted in this country.

Considering the prevailing tragic circumstances, we hope you share our view that this is not the time nor the occasion for “celebration”.

As a reflection of our concerns, we plan to publish the following “We cannot celebrate” statement, in full-page format, in The Georgia Straight in early May. If enough funds are collected, we would also place the ad in the Toronto Now. In addition, we plan to distribute the statement to other media as a news item and to include it in our public call to politicians and others to refuse to participate in this celebration.

We believe this statement is appropriate for the times and invite you to add your voice by endorsing it. (Signers’ names will appear with or without a “description” for identification purposes only. Please indicate your preference.)??

As was the case in June 2002, this is a grass-roots effort, so any financial contribution you can make toward the cost of publication (approximately $4,000) will be greatly appreciated. Contributions from those who wish to help us defray the costs of the ad without having their name listed on the ad will be greatly appreciated as well.

Please reply by e-mail to: wecannotcelebrate@canpalnet.ca

Contributions can be sent to:

CanPalNet
123 North Sea Avenue
Burnaby, BC Canada
V5B 1K4

Thank you for your support.

• Download a copy of the ad here. The text follows below.

Please sign and ask your organization(s) to endorse this statement protesting Israel’s onslaught against the Palestinians and to demand an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Contact Canpalnet at support@canpalnet.ca or call 604-298-9638 for further information or to have your name listed on the statement.

• Click for translations of the statement in French, Chinese and Spanish.

This is a campaign of people living in Canada and of Canadian citizens resident abroad.

It is the responsibility of all people in Canada to insist on the inviolability and universality of human rights. As such, and compelled by our government’s failure to meet its obligations to the Palestinian people, we call for an immediate change in Canada’s Middle East policy.

While proclaiming that all peoples in the region have a right to security, successive Canadian governments have condoned Israel’s systematic violation of the Palestinian population’s basic human right to live free of military coercion and violence.

Collective punishment, land expropriation, home demolitions, extra-judicial killings and the daily humiliation of an entire population provide fertile soil for the growth of brutality and the perpetration of atrocities. Continuing military occupation is the root cause of the present spiral of violence between the Palestinian and Israeli populations.

We urgently demand that the Canadian government assume its international responsibilities regarding the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. We call on the Canadian government to publicly and unequivocally demand the immediate and unilateral withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Palestinian Territories occupied in June 1967 and the dismantlement of illegal settlements.

We demand the Canadian government uphold the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding civilian populations under military occupation (enacted following the atrocities of World War II). We call on the Canadian government to respond to Israel’s continuing non-compliance with the rule of law by joining the international community in the censure and sanction of the illegal Israeli occupation and colonization of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.

In so doing, we affirm the universality of our basic human rights, and protest their selective application by the Canadian government.

WE CALL ON PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS
TO JOIN US IN THIS CAMPAIGN.

END THE OCCUPATION NOW.

 Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation

Charity BIN/Registration No.: 119246742RR0001

Box 75090, 20 Bloor Street East, Toronto. M4W 3T3

necef.canada@gmail.com

with      Canadian Friends of Sabeel

24 January 2008

Enough is enough! This is the thrust of a rare statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Jerusalem Churches. Enough is enough. Our partners in Gaza and the West Bank have all called for an end to this human manufactured humanitarian disaster in Gaza, appealing to all people of good conscience everywhere.

We are once again launching a campaign for funds for Gaza; the present need again dictates this third appeal 18 months. All donors are asked to match your financial generosity with advocacy measures -- a letter to the local media, contacting your MP, education in the local community, writing the Department of Foreign Affairs --- toward permanently ending the untenable siege of Gaza and the human manufactured humanitarian crisis which it has created. (resources can be found at www.sabeel.ca).

Appeal - Appeal - Appeal

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-gaza

We have a very series shortage of diesel in the ministry of Health the majority of the 11 hospitals of MOH do suffer from a shortage of fuel, the same is for the 52 primary health care clinics and vehicles.

I am not speaking now about the consequences but they are catastrophic and include the transportation defect which will not enable the employees of the Ministry to go to their hospitals.

Please. We urge you to help us by applying any sort of pressure that could let the Israelis change their mind about this fatal action that would threaten the lives of thousands of civilians in the already under siege Gaza.

Dr Medhat Abbas
General Director of Crisis Management Unit
Ministry of Health, Gaza.
Contact: mabbas@gov.ps