February 10, 2005

Do you want Canadian Members of Parliament promoting the interests of ANY foreign country?
We think most Canadians, whatever their background would answer NO to this question.

Do you want Canadian Members of Parliament promoting the interests of a country that is in violation of 70 United Nations Resolutions?
Israel stands in violation of more than 70 UN resolutions.  See list of UN Resolutions  (Jews Against the Occupation)

The conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis could have ended some time ago if the International Community had united to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 242.  UNSC 242 passed in 1967 after the 6 day war, ordered Israel to cease its occupation of East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, West Bank and Golan Heights in its entirety.

Shouldn't our MPs be supporting International Law rather than the interests of any given nation?
Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel are more supportive of Israel than many Jews and Israelis. This article by a Canadian Jew explains the policies of the Israeli government and the injustices committed against the Palestinian people. (Canadian Jewish News)

The following are some of the Israeli groups that stand against Israeli government policies for an end to the occupation and for human rights:
Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions 
Gush Shalom 
Rabbis for Human Rights 

What are "Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel" promoting?
On the surface, it appears that they simply defend Israel's Right to exist and to defend itself.  They claim that United Nations Resolutions against Israel are biased.  But, let's examine the reality.

Israel's Right to Exist
No one is questioning Israel's right to exist. The Palestinian Authority recognized Israel's right to exist "in peace and security" at the time of the Oslo Accords in 1993.  (Jewish Virtual Library)

As part of the same accord, Israel agreed to stop building settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. However, between 1993 and 1999 Israeli continued to build settlements - the settler population was almost doubled.  Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that "The occupying power shall not deport or transfers [sic] parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies."

In  2001 and 2004 the Arab states agreed to recognize Israel and normalize relations if Israel withdrew back to the 1967 borders from the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel's Security Wall
Ninety percent of Israel's Security Wall is built on Palestinian territory from which Palestinian lands have been expropriated without compensation.  Only six percent of it is built within 100 metres of the 1949 Armistice line which is the international recognized border of Israel.  In some areas it dips 40 kilometres into the West Bank.

Is this self-defence or a land grab?

Are the United Nations Resolutions biased against Israel?
Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel claim that the United Nations is biased against Israel and they want Canada to vote against UN Resolutions regarding Israeli Human Rights Violations.

In other words, they want Canada to vote with the United States and its protectorates, the Philippines, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, rather than with the majority of nations around the world.

The efforts of the Liberals for Israel to alter Canada's votes in the United Nations seem to have been successful. The Mennonite Central Committee website states: The Canadian government has been ambiguous about the Wall. On October 21, 2003 Canada voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that: “Demands that Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, which is in departure of the Armistice Line of 1949 and is in contradiction to relevant provisions of international law;” However, Canada did not want the issue to be taken to the ICJ; also, on July 20, 2004, after the ICJ decision, Canada abstained when the UN General Assembly requested that Israel comply with the ICJ’s opinion. Canada explained that it remained deeply concerned about the Wall’s adverse effect on the prospects for peace and on “the ever more dire humanitarian and socio-economic situation of the Palestinian population...” but that the resolution did not adequately take into account other aspects of the larger conflict.

Who are the Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel?
Although they have a website, only the names of the co-chairs, Anita Neville and Senator David Smith, are listed under "Who we are".  One has to dig into the documents on the website to see who are the signatories.

A document written by  LPFI, entitled Canada and the Middle East  (June 6th, 2003) shows a number of MPs and Senators as signatories.

An article entitled "Liberal MPs vote to change UN voting pattern on Israeli" (Canadian Jewish News, January 27th 2005) reveals MPs who are members of LPFI.

From these various article and documents we have been able to compile the list of members below:

Senator Jack Austin
Carolyn Bennett, (Ontario - St. Paul's), Minister of State, Public Health
Irwin Cotler, (Quebec, Mt. Royal), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Art Eggleton -  former Minister of Industry and Commerce who negotiated the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
Senator Isobel Finnerty
Raymonde Folco (Quebec, Laval-Les Iles)
Marlene Jennings,  (Quebec - Notre-Dame-de-Grace/Lachine), Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of International Cooperation, to the Solicitor General for Canada and to the Prime Minister
Senator Leo Kolber
Senator Richard Kroft
Anita Neville (Manitoba, Winnipeg South Centre)
Bernard Patry (Quebec, Pierrefonds-Dollards) Chairman, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
Jim Peterson, (Ontario, Willowdale), Minister of International Trade
Senator Marie-P.  Poulin
Joe Volpe, (Ontario, Eglinton-Lawrence), Minister of Immigration
Bryon Wilfert, (Ontario, Richmond Hill), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment  

A January 9th 2004 article from the Jewish Western Bulletin indicates that Stephen Owen, Minister of State (Sports) and Minister of Western Economic Diversification, and Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, are also members of the LPFI.

In December 2006 a list of members of a cross-party group called the Canada-Israel Friendship Group was obtained from Marlene Jenning's office. Some may since have been defeated in the election of January 3, 2006.

More article on the Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel:
http://www.gregfelton.com/recent/2004_01_22.htm
http://www.gregfelton.com/middle/2004_10_28.htm

http://www.jewsforajustpeace.com/pages/azzeh_01.html