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Hon. Marlene Jennings 416 West Block Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Madame Jennings, As a Canadian citizen and editor of the Montreal Planet Magazine, I am shocked and saddened by your support for the apartheid policies of the Israeli government. In an article which appeared in the March 3, 2002 edition of the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, Mr. Michael Ben-Yair, who served as Attorney General of Israel from 1993 to 1996, wrote the following: "We enthusiastically chose to become a colonial society, ignoring international treaties, expropriating lands, transferring settlers from Israel to the occupied territories, engaging in theft and finding justification for all these activities. Passionately desiring to keep the occupied territories, we developed two judicial systems: one - progressive, liberal - in Israel; and the other - cruel, injurious - in the occupied territories. In effect, we established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories immediately following their capture. That oppressive regime exists to this day." Respected statesmen have also spoken out publicly against Israeli apartheid, including Nobel Peace Prize Winners Nelson Mandela (New York Times March 28, 2001) and Desmond Tutu (the Guardian April 29, 2002). Madame Jennings, I am confident you would agree that: 1) Canadians oppose apartheid, 2) a retired Attorney General of Israel is an authority on the system of laws enforced by his nation and 3) Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are qualified to identify apartheid wherever it exists. Therefore, I would appreciate a response to the following question. Will you join Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Michael Ben-Yair in speaking out against Israeli apartheid? This open letter will appear in the May 2005 edition of the Montreal Planet Magazine and will be circulated to human rights and community groups. The Montreal Planet Magazine looks forward to printing your response in its June 2005 edition. Respectfully, Ronald J. Saba Your Comments |
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