Forty-Three MPs Who Support Israeli Apartheid

Authors note:

Many readers have indicated their shock at seeing some of the names on this list.  I too was surprised.  However as I made clear in the initial e-mail, I did not produce the list, the list of members of the Group was provided by Marlene Jennings.

It appears that many MPs are trying to have it both ways.  They may say they support the Palestinians in their just struggle for human rights, but at the same time they are part of a Group whose goal is to support the very oppressors of the Palestinians.

I liken their position to the situation in Apartheid South Africa.  It would have been disingenuous indeed if an MP had said they supported the struggle of the Black South Africans while at the same time were members of a group which supported the government of P.W. Botha.

In fact, IF these members who say they support the struggle of the Palestinians were genuine in their statements, you would expect them to be part of a group pushing for a BOYCOTT of Israel, just as legislators all over the world pushed their governments to boycott Apartheid South Africa.

I understand from the reader who obtained this list that the office of Marlene Jennings was very reluctant to release it and had previously refused requests from journalists for the list.  You can see why they were reluctant from the immediate reaction from readers.

It is always disappointing for citizens to find out that MP's may have not been sincere in their previous statements.  However the role of journalists is not to withhold information.  The role of journalists is to make information available to the public so that citizens can ask questions of their representatives.

We hope that is what citizens will do.  I believe many of these MPs have a lot of explaining to do and hope that the release of the list of members of this Group results in pressure for an  improvement in our foreign policy to favour the human rights of all peoples on this planet.

Ron Saba,Editor

Montreal Planet

Forty-Three MPs Who Support Israeli Apartheid
by Ron Saba, Montreal Planet Magazine

(Montreal December 9, 2005)  According to a list provided by MP Marlene
Jennings to a reader, there are sixty six Canadian MPs and Senators who are
members of the Canada-Israel Friendship Group.  In a press release from
earlier this year, MP Jennings (who Chairs the Group) described the Group as
follows:

"The Canada-Israel "Friendship" Group is a unique forum where all
Parliamentarians that support Israel, regardless of their political creed,
have an opportunity to come together and work for a common cause."

Human rights activists around the world, including Nobel Peace Prize
laureate Desmond Tutu, have spoken out against the Apartheid practices of
the Israeli Regime.

It is a disgrace that sixty six Canadian Parliamentarians support the
Apartheid policies of the Israeli Regime.   Did they support the South
African Apartheid Regime of P.W. Botha?  If not, why do they now support the
Apartheid Regime in Israel?

Forty-three of the sixty-six Parliamentarians who support Israeli Apartheid
are MPs.  They are:

Peter Adams             Liberal, Ontario, Peterborough
Claude Bachand         Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, St.-Jean
James Bezan             Conservative, Manitoba, Selkirk-Interlake
Gary Breitkreuz          Conservative, Saskatchewan, Yorkton-Melville
Gord Brown              Conservative, Ontario, Leeds-Grenville
Gary Carr                  Liberal, Ontario, Halton
Marlene Catterall        Liberal, Ontario (not running in 2006)
Irwin Cotler               Liberal, Quebec, Mont Royal
Raymonde Folco        Liberal, Quebec, Laval-Les iles
Monique Guay           Bloc Quebecois, Riviere du nord
Loyola Hearn             Conservative, Nfld. & Labrador, St John's South
Russ Hiebert             Conservative, B.C., South-Surey-White Rock-Cloverdale
Susan Kadis               Liberal. Ontario, Thornhill
Jason Kenney            Conservative, Alberta, Calgary Southeast
Francine Lalonde        Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Pointe de l'ile
Carol Lavallee             Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, St.-Bruno-St.-Hubert
Yvan Loubier             Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, St.-Hyacinthe-Bagot
James Lunney           Conservative, B.C., Nanaimo-Alberni
John Maloney            Liberal, Ontario, Welland
Richard Marceau         Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Charlesbourg
Serge Menard            Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Marc-Aurele-Fortin
Rob Merrifield             Conservative, Alberta, Yellowhead
Alexa McDonough       NDP, N.S., Halifax
Joe McGuire               Liberal, P.E.I., Egmont
Anita Neville               Liberal, Manitoba, Winnipeg South Center
Massimo Pacetti          Liberal, Quebec, St.-Leonard-St.-Michel
Bernard Patry             Liberal, Quebec, Pierrefond-Dollard
Pauline Picard             Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Drummond
Denise Poirier-Rivard    Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Chateauguay-St.-Constant
Russ Powers              Liberal, Ontario, Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough
James Rajotte            Conservative, Alberta, Edmonton-Leduc
Jean-Yves Roy           Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Matapedia-Matane
Benoit Sauvageau       Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Repentigny
Mario Silva                 Liberal, Ontario, Davenport
Monte Solberg           Conservative, Alberta, Medicine Hat
Loyd St. Amand         Liberal, Ontario, Brandt
Caroline St-Hilaire        Bloc Quebecois, Quebec, Longueuil
Lui Temelkovski          Liberal, Ontario, Oak Ridges-Markham
Vic Toews                 Conservative, Manitoba, Provencher
Paddy Tornsey           Liberal, Ontario, Burlington
Maurice Vellacott        Conservative, Sask., Saskatoon-Wanuskewin
Tom Wappel              Liberal, Ontario Scarborough Southwest
Judy Wasylycia-Leis      NDP, Manitoba, Winnipeg North

Voters should question them as to why they support Apartheid.