Haifa, July 7, 2006: Stop the brutal attack on the Palestinian people and on their elected leaders

The Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine denounces Israel's criminal aggression against the Palestinian people and the complicit silence of the Canadian government

Montreal, 8 July, 2006 - The Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine is holding a rally today to denounce Israel's criminal aggression against the Palestinian people. Indeed, for anyone who pays attention to the facts instead of focusing on groundless official statements, the real policy of the Israeli State has never been so obvious : destruction of bridges, destruction of the only electrical station in Gaza, kidnapping and imprisonment of dozens of Palestinian parliamentarians, death threats against the Palestinian Prime Minister and bombardment of his office, assassination of civilians, etc. None of this can be justified by the kidnapping and detention of an Israeli soldier. None of this is conducive to protecting the life of that soldier, quite the contrary. It is « the act of a gang, not of a state » as was stated in a recent editorial of the Israeli daily Haaretz entitled « The government is losing its reason ».

But the Israeli government has not lost its reason. It is simply pursuing in a more blatant fashion its long time policy aiming at the dispossession of the Palestinian people, the ongoing confiscation of its land, the destruction of its local economy, the destruction of its infrastructures. In summary, gradually reducing its foundations and making its life more and more unbearable. To make the Palestinian people leave even from the 22% of historical Palestine to which it is hanging on. That is the true policy of the State of Israel, a policy which it pursues relentlessly, under the guises of "the peace process", of the "roadmap", and of the "war on terror"... All prefabricated expressions which are presently being revealed as lies in broad daylight..

The Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine calls on the Government of Canada to publicly denounce the Israeli aggression against Gaza and to demand its immediate end. The present silence of the Harper government is nothing short of shameful. It follows on Canada's refusal to recognize the results of the parliamentary elections in which Hamas has won the largest number of seats, and on the cutting of Canadian aid to the Palestinian Authority. The situation which has resulted from this is catastrophic for the Palestinian people : its right to education, its right to work, and even its right to feed itself have been threatened. By cutting its aid, Canada participates de facto in the actual Israeli policy of making life unbearable for the Palestinian people...

Beyond the current aggression, it is the entire Israeli regime of occupation and colonization of the West Bank and of the Gaza Strip which must end, as well as the general impunity under which it has been carried out over four decades. Two years ago, on July 9th 2004, the International Court of Justice published a historical legal opinion reiterating that the occupation regime is illegal and establishing that the Wall built by Israel in Palestine is also illegal and must be demolished. Two years later, the construction of the Wall and the other illegal actions of Israel continue. And a people is being humiliated daily. All this must be brought to an end. Right now.

Following the rally, teams of volunteers will go to several SAQ stores to protest against the fact the Quebec state corporation sells wines produced within territories occupied by Israel (Golan) and thus contributes to the viability of illegal colonies and to the general impunity that Israel benefits from.