[Fresh Ink] Canadian civil society condemns massacre of 400 people in Gaza

[Richard Menec]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Canadian civil society condemns massacre of 400 people in Gaza:

Calls for immediate action to end the assault

 

January 2nd, 2009 (Toronto): Opposition is growing across the country

as Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip enters its seventh day. Canadian

Jewish, Arab and a broad range of civil society  organizations have

drawn together in protest of Israel's on-going massacre of the

Palestinian population in the area.

 

  Press Conference: Friday, January 2nd, 2009

  10am at the Sheraton Hotel: 123 Queen St W

  Featuring; Judy Rebick (CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and

  Democracy,

  Ryerson University), Rafeef Ziadah (Palestine House), Alaa Khalaf

  (Palestinian Canadian from Gaza), Mohamed Boudjenane (CAF Executive   

  Director)

 

  Demonstration: Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

  2pm at Dundas Sq. (Yonge and Dundas)

 

Over 400 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in the

last week, making this the single worst massacre in Gaza since it was

illegally occupied in 1967. As many as 2000 others have been injured

and the threat of further killings hangs heavily as Israel is refusing

a 48 hour humanitarian ceasefire and is mobilizing for what now

appears to be an inevitable ground invasion.

 

"This assault is a collective punishment of the entire population of

Gaza, it is clearly targeting and murdering civilians - it is a

blatant war crime by an Occupying force" says Rafeef Ziadah of

Palestine House.

 

Gaza has been under an illegal and internationally condemned siege

since April 2006. With little reprieve, this siege has restricted all

flow of aid, medical supplies, fuel and other necessities of life into

the territory.  This latest military assault has created a

humanitarian catastrophe. "The Israeli assault on Gaza is one of the

worst human rights violations we have seen in decades," says Judy

Rebick, "people of conscience must speak out".

 

The Canadian government has not condemned Israel's clear violation of

international law and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, which is

consistent with their longstanding policy of unconditional support for

Israel. Stephen Harper's government was the first foreign country to

cut aid to Palestine in 2006.

 

"We are calling upon the Canadian government to act immediately and

demand that Israel halt their aggression upon the population of Gaza.

Canada must also demand that Israel ends the siege on Gaza and open

the borders to allow for food, medicine, water and other essentials to

life." said Khaled Mouammar, President of the Canadian Arab

Federation.

 

United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur in the Occupied Territories,

Richard Falk, spoke directly to foreign governments like Canada,

saying: "The Israeli airstrikes today, and the catastrophic human toll

that they caused, challenge those countries that have been and remain

complicit, either directly or indirectly, in Israel's violations of

international law. That complicity includes...those countries who have

supported and participated in the siege of Gaza that itself has caused

a humanitarian catastrophe."

 

The coalition is calling for all Canadians to demonstrate against the

Israeli assault on Gaza and to rally the Canadian government to

condemn Israel's war crimes, to lift the siege on the people of Gaza,

and to cut Canada's military and economic ties with Israel until such

time as it complies with international law. People will demonstrate

and march in Toronto this coming Saturday January 3, 2009 at Dundas

Square at 2pm.

 

The demonstration has been endorsed by many civil society organizations from

around the country.

 

For more information, please contact:

Palestine House Media

416-890-3703

 

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