(no subject)
PROTEST ISRAELI WAR CRIMES IN LEBANON
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
When: Saturday July 22 at 3:00 PM
Organized by: Al-awda-Palestine Right of Return Coalition, Adala, and the Lebanese Information Centre-BC
Canadians expect their government to uphold international law
Joint statement from StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace, Vancouver
Monday, 17 July 2006-StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace join in appealing to Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to take a more informed and balanced approach to the current events in Lebanon, Gaza and Israel, than his repeated statements in support of Israeli actions imply, with the express aim of ending hostilities as quickly as possible and of encouraging all parties to participate unconditionally in peace negotiations.
Canadians expect their government to uphold and promote the tenants of international law that our country is signatory to and that are clearly accepted by most Canadians as an integral part of our commitment to universal human values.
While all parties have to accept responsibility for their actions, Israel's disproportionate response in both Gaza and Lebanon is cause for grave concern for the extent of the suffering it has brought to large numbers of the innocent, for the risk of uncontrolled escalation and extreme destabilization in a volatile region, and for the appearance of attempting to change the rules of what is acceptable and thus undermining the efficacy of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
By calling Israel's response "measured," Mr. Harper shows a bias in favour of Israel which constitutes a disregard for the human worth of the civilian victims of Israeli excesses in both Occupied Palestine and Lebanon. Human dignity is the birthright of civilians on both sides of this tragic divide.
Today, Mr. Harper is reported to have said: "We are not giving in to the temptation of some to single out Israel, which was the victim of the initial attack," in response to concerns that the seven Canadians killed by Israeli bombs are indirectly victims to Mr. Harpers reckless remarks in support of Israel last week.
We would remind Mr. Harper that in accordance with international law Palestinians had a right under international law as an occupied people to engage with the Israeli military and to take one of their soldiers as a prisoner of war. Israel's response to this legal act includes a host of internationally recognized war crimes that have not been addressed thanks to the US veto in the UN Security Council.
Further, while we concede without qualification that Hezbollah's initial attack on an Israeli military target and the subsequent attacks on civilian areas in Israel is in contravention of international law, these actions can never constitute a justification for Israel to ignore international law and the Geneva Conventions and to launch the massive attacks on civilian populations that we have witnessed over the past five days.
Mr. Harper's contention that Israel has a right to defend itself and his excusing of Israeli actions because "it is difficult to engage an enemy that has embedded itself in a civilian population" fails utterly to justify the destruction of Beirut Airport, Lebanese fuel tanks, Lebanese bridges and the main highway to Damascus. Israel's argument that these actions are intended to secure the release of two illegally captured Israeli soldiers is simply transparent rationalization that can only be believed by those biased in Israel's favour. We expect greater objectivity from our government.
We call on the Canadian Government to insist that all parties to the conflict abide by international law with regard to their treatment of their prisoners.
Furthermore, we call on the Canadian Government to insist that collective punishment is a crime that cannot be accepted and to work within all international arenas available to the Canadian Government to ensure that no one in this conflict can flout international law with impunity.
StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace, submit that it is both irresponsible and morally indefensible to make statements justifying the actions perpetrated by Israel which are clearly in violation of international law. It behooves our government to act with compassion rather than from partisan considerations given the serious possibilities of a bloodbath emerging from the current situation in the Middle East.
[17 July, 2006-4:00pm] A Middle East Special Report is currently being prepared by the StopWar.ca Production Committee in collaboration with the Jews for a Just Peace Website Team and will be posted here within the next 24 hours.
www.stopwar.ca
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
When: Saturday July 22 at 3:00 PM
Organized by: Al-awda-Palestine Right of Return Coalition, Adala, and the Lebanese Information Centre-BC
Canadians expect their government to uphold international law
Joint statement from StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace, Vancouver
Monday, 17 July 2006-StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace join in appealing to Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to take a more informed and balanced approach to the current events in Lebanon, Gaza and Israel, than his repeated statements in support of Israeli actions imply, with the express aim of ending hostilities as quickly as possible and of encouraging all parties to participate unconditionally in peace negotiations.
Canadians expect their government to uphold and promote the tenants of international law that our country is signatory to and that are clearly accepted by most Canadians as an integral part of our commitment to universal human values.
While all parties have to accept responsibility for their actions, Israel's disproportionate response in both Gaza and Lebanon is cause for grave concern for the extent of the suffering it has brought to large numbers of the innocent, for the risk of uncontrolled escalation and extreme destabilization in a volatile region, and for the appearance of attempting to change the rules of what is acceptable and thus undermining the efficacy of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
By calling Israel's response "measured," Mr. Harper shows a bias in favour of Israel which constitutes a disregard for the human worth of the civilian victims of Israeli excesses in both Occupied Palestine and Lebanon. Human dignity is the birthright of civilians on both sides of this tragic divide.
Today, Mr. Harper is reported to have said: "We are not giving in to the temptation of some to single out Israel, which was the victim of the initial attack," in response to concerns that the seven Canadians killed by Israeli bombs are indirectly victims to Mr. Harpers reckless remarks in support of Israel last week.
We would remind Mr. Harper that in accordance with international law Palestinians had a right under international law as an occupied people to engage with the Israeli military and to take one of their soldiers as a prisoner of war. Israel's response to this legal act includes a host of internationally recognized war crimes that have not been addressed thanks to the US veto in the UN Security Council.
Further, while we concede without qualification that Hezbollah's initial attack on an Israeli military target and the subsequent attacks on civilian areas in Israel is in contravention of international law, these actions can never constitute a justification for Israel to ignore international law and the Geneva Conventions and to launch the massive attacks on civilian populations that we have witnessed over the past five days.
Mr. Harper's contention that Israel has a right to defend itself and his excusing of Israeli actions because "it is difficult to engage an enemy that has embedded itself in a civilian population" fails utterly to justify the destruction of Beirut Airport, Lebanese fuel tanks, Lebanese bridges and the main highway to Damascus. Israel's argument that these actions are intended to secure the release of two illegally captured Israeli soldiers is simply transparent rationalization that can only be believed by those biased in Israel's favour. We expect greater objectivity from our government.
We call on the Canadian Government to insist that all parties to the conflict abide by international law with regard to their treatment of their prisoners.
Furthermore, we call on the Canadian Government to insist that collective punishment is a crime that cannot be accepted and to work within all international arenas available to the Canadian Government to ensure that no one in this conflict can flout international law with impunity.
StopWar.ca and Jews for a Just Peace, submit that it is both irresponsible and morally indefensible to make statements justifying the actions perpetrated by Israel which are clearly in violation of international law. It behooves our government to act with compassion rather than from partisan considerations given the serious possibilities of a bloodbath emerging from the current situation in the Middle East.
[17 July, 2006-4:00pm] A Middle East Special Report is currently being prepared by the StopWar.ca Production Committee in collaboration with the Jews for a Just Peace Website Team and will be posted here within the next 24 hours.
www.stopwar.ca