Archived Articles for December 2007

December 31, 2007

True to the traditions of free speech, we decided to engage the author, Mark Steyn, in a lively debate on his views on Muslims. We met with Macleans' editors and asked that they publish a response to Mr. Steyn's article from a mutually acceptable author. The response was that Macleans"would rather go bankrupt." And that response resulted in our human rights complaints.

December 24, 2007

Toronto Now - Grass stains on Canada's hands: JNF and Canada Park in the West Bank

John Reynolds, a legal researcher with Al-Haq, says, “The forcible transfer of people from their villages and the destruction of those villages are defined as a grave breach of the Geneva Convention in the category of war crimes.‚”
The state of Israel, he says, bears the primary responsibility, but as a charitable organization the onus is also on the JNF. But Reynolds fingers the Canadian government as well, because the money to build Canada Park was subsidized by tax exemptions.

December 21, 2007

YNet - Catholic leader rejects Israel's Jewish identify

Sabbah denounced Israel's demand to be recognized as a Jewish state by the Palestinians and said "God made this land for all three of us, so a suitable state is one who can adapt itself to the vocation of this land.

December 18, 2007

BBC News - Red Cross report lambastes Israel

The International Committee of the Red Cross has called for immediate political action to contain the "deep crisis" in the West Bank and Gaza. The statement was an unusual departure from its normally non- political stance.

The ICRC said the measures imposed by Israel had denied the Palestinian population the right to live a normal and dignified life.
[Red Cross Report - Dignity Denied in the Occupied Palestinian Territories]

CPNO - The Central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada Announces its
Position Regarding Ongoing Peace Efforts in the Middle East

Statements were made by some Jewish religious, political organizations, that returning parts of the holy land and particular Jerusalem for the sake of peace is prohibited. That is simply not true. ... Torah principles also proclaim that human life is the most profound cause. Territorial concessions for the sake of saving lives and preventing human suffering are not only sanctioned by the Torah, but required.

December 13, 2007

Canadian Jewish News - Postal Workers pass anti-Israel resolution

A regional conference of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has passed a resolution supporting the boycott of Israel and pledging an educational campaign about “the apartheid nature of the Israel [sic] state.”

(Comment: Of course the title of the article should be that CUPW passed an anti Israeli apartheid resolution. The article goes on to attempt to trivialize the importance of this motion but it is one more step in the growing campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel.)

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United Nations - Canada's pathetic voting pattern at the UN continues

...on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, adopted by recorded vote of 109 in favour to 8 against (Australia, Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 55 abstentions (Annex I).

...by a vote of 160 in favour to 6 against (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 7 abstentions (Angola, Australia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu) (Annex V), the Assembly reiterated its determination that any actions taken by Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and, therefore, null and void, calling on Israel to cease all such illegal and unilateral measures.

December 10, 2007

EU: New settlements, Gaza Siege, targeted assassinations acts of war, not peace
 
According to the European Union, the few hopes raised by the Annapolis summit have been dashed by the Israeli policy of collective punishment and senseless fire of rockets by Palestinian extremist groups.

The following is a statement by LUISA MORGANTINI, Vice President of the European Parliament:

"All this came immediately after Annapolis, which by the way was not making a final negotiation but only a joint statement for negotiations. The Israeli Government did not lose time, and announced the expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, and every day Palestinians are being killed by the Israeli army or undercover units: in the last week 27 Palestinian people were killed  by the Israeli raids in Gaza Strip and many others in the West Bank.

Imenc - Palestinian UN Envoy: Israeli attacks have destroyed hope for peace
 
In a letter to the Italian President, the Palestinian Envoy to the United Nations (non-voting), Riyad Mansour, stated that Israel's “state terrorism” in Gaza has wiped away the hope for peace that was established last week in the one-day Annapolis summit.

He wrote, "while the rhetoric of the occupying Power has taken on a deceivingly more positive tone, the actual situation on the ground has further deteriorated as a result of its unlawful policies and practices."  Mansour is referring to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and invasions in the West Bank, that have resulted in sixteen Palestinians killed since last Tuesday's one-day ‘peace meeting'.

While no Israelis have been killed this year by Palestinians, Israeli forces have killed over 700 Palestinians, many of them civilians.  Human rights groups estimate that 80% of those killed are civilians.

December 6, 2007

NCCAR - Letter of thanks to Stephane Dion for his speech of November 23

On behalf of the National Council on Canada Arab Relations I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being our guest at our gala dinner held in Montreal on Friday November 23, 2007. The Keynote speech that you delivered was very well received by all in attendance.

CPNO - Are the Liberals under Stephane Dion a real alternative to the Harper Conservatives?

Stephane Dion received a standing ovation for his speech at the National Council on Canada Arab Relations dinner on November 23. ... but there are a number of issues that Mr. Dion must deal with if the Liberal Party is to play a role in advancing peace through a just solution based on International Law in regards to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.

December 3, 2007

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IHT - U.S. withdraws UN resolution on Mideast peace talks

In an embarrassing about-face, the United States on Friday withdrew a draft Security Council resolution endorsing the agreement reached this week in Annapolis, Maryland on starting Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations a day after it was introduced and attracted widespread support from the Council's 15 members, including Qatar, the council's Arab representative.

Israel said it had not been consulted on the language of the measure beforehand, and diplomats said that Israel objected to having the Council directly involved in the peace process.

December 1, 2007

UN - Canada abstains from vote to set up register of damage arising from construction of wall by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory

"A resolution to establish a Register of Damage arising from the construction of separation wall by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was adopted this afternoon, as orally amended, by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 7 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Uganda), as the General Assembly continued its tenth special emergency session on Israeli actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

  "In explaining his decision to abstain on the vote after action, Canada's representative said his country's position on the building of the wall was clear.  Israel had a right to defend itself, but not at the cost of sacrificing international law."

PAJU - THE JNF’S "CANADA PARK" IS A DISGRACE AND A TAX RIP-OFF

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) will hold its "Negev Dinner" in Toronto on Sunday, December 2, 2007 to raise funds for "Canada Park". We would like to give you with some information related to the history of Canada Park and ask: Why are Canadian taxpayers subsidizing the JNF?

Canada Park is not within the territory of the State of Israel. It is in the occupied West Bank.

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