Author: cpaadmin

By Hanna Kawas

On March 18, 2009 the Canadian Minister of Multiculturalism and Immigration, Mr. Jason Kenney made good on his threats to cut funding for Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) programs that help settle newcomers to Canada. The Toronto Star reported that neither of the two LINC contracts with CAF “will be renewed, Alykhan Velshi, director of communications and parliamentary affairs, said in an email.” In the same article, Mr. Kenney also referenced this decision by stating that “he is an ‘unapologetic supporter’ of Israel”. http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/604720

A few days earlier, it was reported in the National Post on 3/14/2009:

“Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the Canadian Arab Federation will have to change its leadership and adopt a more moderate stance or risk losing federal funding…Mr. Kenney said taxpayers should not be footing the bill for an organization whose leader ‘promotes hateful and extremist views.’ Mr. Kenney said there are many moderate organizations that could do the job… He suggested the decision could be reversed if more moderate leaders were in place.” http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1387992

The message was bluntly stated – either put leaders that we approve of or else funding will be cut. It should be noted that this was not funding for CAF itself, as the leading Arab Canadian organization, but rather monies to assist new immigrants as they transition to Canadian society. However, Mr. Kenney has been on a crusade for the past two years (his estimate) to slander, discredit and dictate to Arab and Muslim Canadians who they can choose as their leaders. This crusade was conducted with the open support of Canadian Zionist organizations and is in the context of current Canadian government policy to defend Israeli human rights abuses and war crimes. Mr. Kenney is proving that Canadian Multiculturalism applies only to certain kinds of people!!!

Mr. Kenney in his speech at the “Anti- Semitism Conference” at Lancaster House, London, England on Feb. 17, 2009 slandered the Canadian Arab Federation and the Canadian Islamic Congress as “organisations that either excuse violence against Jews or express essentially anti-Semitic sentiments” and express “hateful sentiments”. He reached this conclusion without any factual proof or evidence. He then went on to make the point: “the government of Canada has consistently voted against resolutions singling out Israel as a scapegoat at international forums such as the Francophonie and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Just two, three weeks ago we were unfortunately typically the only country of the 40 some member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council to oppose in this instance a resolution scapegoating Israel in an unbalanced way as being responsible for the violence in Gaza.

And finally, my proudest moment as minister was a year ago this month when I announced on behalf of our government that Canada would withdraw, and has withdrawn, from the Durban 2 process.”

And the basis for his unconditional and uncritical support for Israel is apparently founded on the Zionist ideology that Jews constitute a nation and not a religion, and that an exclusive Jewish state (Israel) must be supported. Hence, he declares that anyone who does not believe this theory is anti-Semitic; he states, “We do see the growth of a new anti-Semitism, the anti-Semitism predicated on the notion that the Jews alone have no right to a homeland, the anti-Zionist version of anti-Semitism.” In another place he states that: “And in that sense anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Our government clearly understands this.” http://www.jewishwinnipeg.org/page.aspx?id=196178

For more information about Kenney’s stands regarding CAF see:
http://caf.ca/Admin.aspx?AppModule=TxAppFramework.Web.Admin&Command=EMBEDDEDFILE&DataObjectID=701&ColumnID=3581&FieldName=CONTENT&Lang=EN&RecordID=1948

For Mr. Kenney’s information, Zionism and anti-Semitism are two faces of the same coin; they both believe that Jews do NOT belong to their respective homelands because they are a “different race or nationality”, they are “superior” or “inferior” and they belong somewhere else. The founder of Zionism Theodor Herzl realised that early on. He made the connection and sought the help of anti-Semites to realize his colonialist project:

• Herzl expressed the hope that any anti-Semitism would “act as a propelling force which, like the wave of the future, would bring the Jews into the promised land.” (Alfred M. Lilienthal “The Zionist Connection, What Price Peace?” 1978 Dodd Mead & C0. Pg. 410)
• Herzl wrote: “Anti-Semitism has grown and continues to grow, and so do I” Theodor Herzl Diaries. P. 7
• Also “The governments of all countries scourged by anti-Semitism will be keenly interested in assisting us to obtain the sovereignty we want.” Theodor Herzl, The Jewish State. P. 92
• This attitude was not confined to Herzl alone. Alfred Lilienthal, Jewish-American author, detailed the following about Chaim Weizmann a British Zionist leader who later became the first president of Israel: “The late British Parliamentarian Richard H. S. Crossman, an ardent Anglo-Saxon proponent of Zionism, cited Dr. Chaim Weizmann’s contention that ‘anti-Semitism is a bacillus which every Gentile carries with him wherever he goes and however often he denies it.’ At this first meeting Dr. Chaim Weizmann allegedly bluntly asked Crossman whether he was anti-Semitic, to which the Labourite frankly answered, ‘Of course.’ Their friendship was sealed, and Crossman’s energetic crusade, partly expiation for that original prejudice, followed.” (The Zionist Connection, Pg. 411)

Mr. Kenney also used the argument that the political opposition of CAF’s leadership to the inclusion of Hezbullah and the Palestinian resistance organizations on Canada’s “Terrorism List” was a reason for cutting CAF’s funding.

For the historic record, the listing of these organizations was done to serve Israeli government interests and the pro-Israel lobby. Not the Canadian people’s interests, security or wishes, not to help a Canadian province or territory, but a foreign government.

“When asked who Canada should support, a majority, 77 per cent, said Canada should be neutral. Sixteen per cent said Canada should support Israel, while only one per cent said Hezbollah.” CTV, Aug. 1, 2006 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060728/mideast_poll_060731/20060731?hub=TopStories

Furthermore, it is well documented that Canadian Zionist organizations had long called for the listing of these organizations on the “terrorism list” http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article971.shtml. Other issues that were on their wish list was to change the Canadian voting at the UN General Assembly in favour of Israel, and this also was implemented by both Liberal and Conservative governments.

For more information about the timing and the role of the Zionist lobby in the banning of the Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance organizations see: https://cpavancouver.org/2002/12/open-letter-to-the-canadian-prime-minister-regarding-the-banning-of-moslem-organizations/ and https://cpavancouver.org/2003/11/open-letter-to-solicitor-general-of-canada-re-banning/

It should also be made clear that none of CAF’s leaders were implicated in any material or other kind of support for these “banned” groups, nor was such a thing even suggested. They were condemned for simply expressing their conviction that Canadian government policy was misled and would not serve Canada’s interests nor would it help further the interests of peace in the Middle East.

That is why Canadian government policy is now seen as biased by many in the Middle East due to just such actions by government officials. Some other examples of Canadian complicity in Israeli war crimes and racism are:

1. Canada’s unconditional support for Israel goes back to the UN Partition Plan in 1947, even before the establishment of the Israeli state. Lester Pearson, then the under-secretary of state for Foreign Affairs and Canadian Judge Rand played a major role in formulating and passing the Partition Plan at the UN general Assembly; Zionist groups were so grateful to Pearson, they called him the “Balfour of Canada”.
2. Most Zionist organizations, including the “Jewish National Fund” (JNF) have enjoyed the benefit of having Tax-Deductible status, using Canadian taxpayers money to support Israeli war crimes, occupation and racism. The Canadian Arab Federation has never enjoyed such benefits.
3. Many Canadians will be surprised to know that buying Israeli bonds in Canada can be done under their Registered Retirement Saving Plan (RRSP) enjoying that same tax shelter.
4. The free trade agreement with Israel, not only empowers Israel and its economy, it also had a military provision that is still kept secret.
5. Canada and Israel signed a public security cooperation agreement, on March 23, 2008 between Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety Canada and Avi Dichter, then Israeli Minister of Public Security (who several months earlier cancelled a trip to Britain over fear of arrest on allegations of war crimes). The recent refusal to allow British MP George Galloway into Canada under the excuse that he is a “security risk” might be related to this agreement and perhaps based on Galloway’s support for the Palestinian people, especially the British humanitarian convoy he just led into Gaza. http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2008/nr20080323-1-eng.aspx
6. It have been recently exposed by Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) that the Canadian Government did not only support Israel publicly in it crimes against humanity in Gaza, but 50 Canadian arms companies also supplied Israel with crucial parts for its F-15’s F-16’s and its AH-64 Apache helicopters. http://coat.ncf.ca/ARMX/cansec/CANSEC-Gaza.htm

In fact, Canada’s Conservative Party has been in the business of not only slandering CAF, the leading national grassroots Arab Canadian organization, but also all those who support Palestinian and Arab freedom and independence. Kenney himself openly criticized CUPE Ontario for passing a motion to boycott Israeli universities that support the occupation. Two Conservative riding association presidents were part of an attempt last year to censor and silence the Voice of Palestine and Coop Radio in Vancouver. The list is long, and includes attempts to intimidate students on campuses during Israeli Apartheid Week, an effort also assisted by Canada’s Liberal Party.

When Mr. Kenney cuts the funding to Arab immigrants his message to them is that Canada does NOT want you here, stay in your homelands. This is frightening and also means that Canada is closing its door for those who do NOT support Israel and Zionism. But what he is doing may be a blessing in disguise. It is important that Arab skilled and educated people stay in the Arab World and build their respective countries rather than help build countries that support their peoples’ oppression and enslavement.

There is another message that Mr. Kenney is sending to the Arab people and the Arab World. Canada is against your aspirations in ending foreign occupation, against your struggle for independence from Western powers who brutally control your natural resources and Canada is with Israeli occupation and U.S. occupation of Arab lands. Furthermore, Canada alongside its western allies, will support Arab dictators and puppet regimes against the Arab people’s aspirations for freedom and democracy.

We would like to warn Mr. Kenney of the strategic dangers of such a policy that will inflict untold damages on Canada’s future international relations, the Canadian economy and accordingly the Canadian people. There are already calls to boycott U.S. and Western interests for their blind support of Israeli occupation and war crimes. The U.S. and Western economies are in deep trouble. Does Mr. Kenney want the Canadian economy to get worse than what it is already? We are sure he won’t pay for his mistakes, the same way the U.S. business elites are not paying for their mistakes, at least not in the short term. As always, it will be Canadian working people who will bear the brunt of these policies.

It seem that Mr. Kenney does not understand the history of Zionism; we hope he is not part of the Christian Zionists who purposely want to ingather “the Jews” to hasten Armageddon and the annihilation of the Jewish people as part of claimed prophecies. Anti- Semitism was created by European powers who claim the Judo-Christian values to themselves, the same way many western governments now claim human rights values to themselves while committing war crimes and atrocities in their quest to control the world.

Mr. Kenney and his Zionist friends are the ones promoting anti-Semitism and libelling Jews by claiming that Zionism and Israel represent all of the Jewish people and that all of the atrocities and war crimes Israel is committing are being done in the name of the Jewish people and in the name of the six million Jews who perished because of European anti-Semitism. Mr. Michael Warschawski from the Israeli Alternative Information Center (AIC) declared in a recent article “Absolutely Not Not in Their Name, Not in Ours” http://www.alternativenews.org/content/view/1545/389/ .

We tell Mr. Kenney “Absolutely Not! Not in Their Name”, the name of all those who perished in any unjust war, and “Not in Ours” as human beings, whether we are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or atheists.

As if Canada does not have enough difficulties with racism against people of colour, now we have the Canadian minister of Multiculturalism contributing to hatred and bigotry against the Arab and Muslim people. Mr. Kenney, his government and his Zionist friends should be held responsible for any increase in anti-Semitism, anti-Arab racism and any Islamophobic act.

The Canadian Arab Federation is standing up to blackmail, intimidation, and bullying, often at great personal cost to its leaders and members. This intervention in the internal affairs of the Arab community being conducted by the Canadian government’s vast economic and intelligence machinery smacks of the “regime change” tactics used globally by the U.S. and other western governments.. CAF www.caf.ca needs all our support politically, morally and financially, and this should be our answer to all those who are trying to muffle the truth and its messengers.

Hanna Kawas, Vancouver, Canada. Born in Bethlehem, Palestine.
Co-host of Voice of Palestine Radio Show and Chairperson of Canada Palestine Association

The following message was sent on Jan 25, 2009 to the BBC’s “Doha Debates” (thedohadebates@qf.org.qa), the Qatar Foundation that finances them (info@qf.org.qa) , and to the BBC, as of the posting date of this letter March 1, 2009, none of the above ever sent even an acknowledgment of our message.

After the devastation in Gaza that lasted over three weeks, you decided on January 18 2009 to put to your scripted House who had no qualms in attending your debate while the BBC refuses to broadcast a humanitarian appeal to Gaza, the following resolution: “This House believes that political Islam is a threat to the West
This choice of wording is extremely suspect and contributes nothing to informed debate; in fact, it looks like a page from the Israeli propaganda machine (Hasbara). It hijacks the agenda and diverts the attention from fresh Israeli atrocities, while putting the blame on the shoulders of the victim by opening the door to debate whether Hamas as a political Islamic movement (and the Palestinian people it represents) is a threat to the “West”.

First, I would question which intelligence service headquarters drafted this resolution?

Second, if your resolution was drafted to serve the long term interests and understanding of the Arab people and European and North American people (as opposed to the agenda of multinationals and governments), it would be put the following way:

“This house believes that the North American and European unconditional support for Israel is a threat to the West”. Or, “This house believes that the bias of most Western media, including the BBC, is a threat to world peace”.

Also Arab public opinion, who you presumably are targeting with your “Doha Diatribes” have many other concerns aside from “Threats to the West” especially after the massacres in Gaza. Maybe some of your future resolutions should read:

1. “This house resolves to boycott the West on all levels for their complicity in Israeli war crimes against Gaza.”
2. “This house denounces the silence and complicity of the Arab regimes in allowing Israeli war crimes to continue unabated” for over three weeks, while Palestinian children and civilians were being slaughtered.
3. “This house demands that a special international tribunal be set up to prosecute Israeli war criminals and their accomplices.”
4. “This house urges the UN General Assembly to impose economic and military sanctions until Israel implements all UN resolutions.”

So if you really care about the future of the people of the Middle East, I challenge you to introduce any of the above resolutions for debate.

We will make our position public on the Voice of Palestine, Canada (VOP), and we will also announce your response if care to answer my email. If you prefer to debate your position on the VOP, we offer you an open invitation at a mutually convenient time.

Waiting to hear from you.
Hanna Kawas
Chairman, Canada Palestine Association www.cpavancouver.org
Co-host Voice of Palestine www.voiceofpalestine.ca

The following message was sent to Michael Ignatieff, leader of the Liberal Party in Canada, on Jan. 3, 2009, under the title “Justice Will Reach All Those Who Are Complicit in War Crimes”. As of March 1/09, we did not receive even an acknowledgment from Mr. Ignatieff.

Mr. Ignatieff:

In the first part of your media release on “the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip” dated December 29, 2008 you state: “I am greatly concerned by the deepening violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the fear and suffering on all sides that this mounting instability has caused.

The Liberal Party of Canada unequivocally condemns the rocket attacks launched by Hamas against Israeli civilians and calls for an immediate end to these attacks. We affirm Israel’s right to defend itself against such attacks, and also its right to exist in peace and security.” http://www.liberal.ca/story_15558_e.aspx

Your party “unequivocally condemns” Hamas, but not the government of Israel and its disproportionate military bombardments. Can you not see the double standard in your position? I am sure you are aware of who broke the cease-fire. If you cannot research these basic facts, then Canada is in real trouble if you become our Prime Minister.

I do NOT want to burden you with my side of the story, and I am not hopeful that you will change your position. Since your father’s involvement (George Ignatieff) in the UN Partition Plan in 1947, official Canadian policies have favored the aggressor (Israel and the Zionist Movement) against the victim (the Palestinian People).

However, I would like to remind you that the current Canadian government, as a signatory to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and your Liberal Party in government and in opposition are all complicit in Israeli war crimes by legitimizing and giving cover to these atrocities. History has shown that eventually justice will reach all those who commit and are complicit in war crimes; and just as previous war criminals were brought to the International Court of Justice, so to will Israel’s military generals and those who supported them be held accountable for their heinous actions.

By supporting these atrocities and war crimes, are you truly standing up “for Canada’s best interest”? Just to show you the contrast between your war-mongering position and the position of peace loving Israelis, I would like to forward the following message I just received from them (see below).

Hanna Kawas
Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association www.cpavancouver.org
Co-Host, Voice of Palestine, Canada www.voiceofpalestine.ca

Press Release

Supreme Court clears police obstruction of Tel Aviv anti-war procession

Thousands of Jews and Arabs to take part in Tel Aviv march
Protest against the Gaza War “Stop the killing! Stop the siege”!
Saturday night,January 3, 2009 at 6.30 pm
The march will set out form Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square (at the corner of Frishman St. and Chen
.Boulevard) and will culminate at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque

Following an urgent proceeding at the Supreme Court on Friday morning, the way was cleared to holding an mass anti-war march in Tel-Aviv, with judges instructing the police to grant a permit to the demonstration and not to interfere with the political message expressed in it. Specifically, the police had to give up its demand that no Palestinian flags be raised during the procession, should some of the participants wish to do so. There is no law forbidding the raising of Palestinian flags in Israel, and indeed on some occasions such flags were displayed during official ceremonies at the Prime Minster’s Residence in Jerusalem. The judges ruled that the fact that raising Palestinian flags might anger some people is no reason to forbid flying them; rather, the police is obliged to protect the demonstrators’ freedom of speech and prevent any act of violence against them.

Thousands of demonstrators, among them Jewish and Arab Knesset Members and public figures, are expected to take part in the march and call for a cease-fire, for the sake of the inhabitants on both sides of the border, and for immediate removal of the Gaza siege. Marcel Abarjil, a peace activist from Ashdod whose home is within range of the missiles shot from the Gaza Strip, is also joining the demonstration and will address the rally at its end, so as to help disprove the assertion made in the media that all inhabitants of southern Israel are in support of the war and the bombing of Gaza. There will also be read out a special message from Dr. Eyad Sarraj, Palestinian peace activist and head of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme.

We are going out on the streets in these dark days in order to reiterate together: Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies! We demand ceasefire and the immediate removal of the Gaza siege. Hundreds were killed and thousands wounded in Gaza, and the bombings continue to sow fear and destruction. The siege on Gaza continues – a lack of vital goods, of medicines, and of fuel harms gravely all inhabitants of the Strip. The government of Israel and the heads of the army threaten to invade the Strip and perpetrate even more destruction, while ignoring all the calls for a cease-fire.

We call upon all peace-seekers in Israel to join us for a mass demonstration against the war!

The coalition of anti-war groups and organizations:
Ahoti, Alternative Information Center (AIC), Anarchists against the Fence, Balad, Banki, Bat Shalom, Coalition of Women for Peace, Combatants for Peace, Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), Da’am – Workers’ Party, Gush Shalom, Hadash, Hithabrut – Tarabut, Indymedia, Israeli Communist Party (Maki), New Profile, Public Committee Against Torture (PCATI), Ra’am – Ta’al, Sadaka-Re’ut, Social TV, Student Coalition – Tel Aviv University, Ta’ayush, Tandi (Democratic Women), The Campus is Not Silent, The Shministim (Highschool Seniors’) Letter, Women in Black, Yesh Gvul, Zochrot,

Contact: Adi 050-8575730, Einat 052-3554815, Adar 052-5444866, Adam 0506-709603

To the U.S. Government: Where is the Promised Palestinian State?

The Palestinian people were promised an independent state 3 times in the last 15 years by successive U.S. government – first in 1998, then 2005, and most recently by the end of 2008. In all three cases, the promises went unfulfilled, and were intended to be unfulfilled when declared. In fact, all that resulted from these promises was more oppression, more killings, more prisoners, more theft of land, more separation walls, more check points, more apartheid segregation, more illegal settlements and more prejudicial facts on the ground. This has been the theme of U.S. policy towards Palestinian aspirations: engage in endless non-productive talks while supporting ruthless acts of expansion and aggression that ensure a viable Palestinian state will never come to fruition. It is time for the Palestinian and Arab people to clearly express to their own leaders and the U.S. establishment that “business as usual” is no longer an option.

We also call on the American people to take action and insist their government act immediately to rectify the injustices carried against the Palestinian people for over sixty years. These injustices have impacted not just the livelihood of the Palestinians, but humanity in general and also the American people in specific.

On September 20, 2001, in an address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American people, U.S. President George W. Bush stated “Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber — a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.” Unfortunately, Mr. Bush insists on hiding the facts and the truth from the American people, and he is not alone in doing so among recent US presidents. The US economic collapse, which will result in a US military collapse and eventually the end of the US empire, has its roots in this very question. Why do many people hate the U.S. government? Simply put, they hate it because they hate the hegemonic polices of the US government, the policies that brought U.S. occupation to Iraq and sustain Israeli occupation in Palestine.

Following is just a few highlights of the over sixty years of U.S. meddling and intervention to control the Middle East and perpetuate Israeli aggression.

• Successive U. S. governments played a major role in supporting the Israeli dispossession of the Palestinian people. Since 1947 the Zionist terrorist gangs and later the Israeli government wiped out over 400 Palestinian towns and villages from the world map (see All That Remains By Prof. Walid Khalidi ), thereby ethnically cleansing Palestine from two thirds of its people. These war crimes were the result of UN General Assembly resolution 181, called the Partition Plan, which the US government played a major role in getting passed by pressuring other UN members to vote in favour of the resolution. Then US Secretary of Defence, James Forrestal stated: “The methods that have been used … to bring coercion and duress on other nation in the General Assembly bordered closely onto scandal”. And US Congressman Lawrence H. Smith stated, “The pressure by our delegates, by our officials, and by the private citizens of the United States constitutes reprehensible conduct against them and against us.” During the debates in the U.N. on the Partition Plan in 1947, the representative of Pakistan, Zufrallah Khan, warned the Western powers that pushed for the partition plan “to remember that you may need friends tomorrow, that you may need allies in the Middle East. I beg you, not to ruin and blast your credit in these lands.” Words that were obviously ignored.
• In May 1948 when Israel declared its so-called independence, the US government recognized it after just ten minutes, highlighting the level of coordination and complicity of the US government with the Zionist project.
• On June 5, 1967, with US financial, intelligence, military and political support, Israel attacked Egypt, Syria and Jordan with the aim of crushing the progressive, nationalist and socialist policies of the Syrian and the Egyptian governments. By doing so the US dashed the aspirations of the whole Arab nation for self-reliance, independence, progress and unity.
• In September 1970, the US built a military bridge between Washington and Amman to help King Hussein in liquidating the Palestinian national movement in its infancy. This was accomplished with the assistance of other local agents such as Pakistani Brigadier Muhammad Zia-al-Haq, who later became president of Pakistan, and Hardan El-Tikriti, then Iraqi Defence Minister, who ended up with two suitcases full of CIA dollars as a reward for neutralizing the 12,000-strong Iraqi “Saladin Force” stationed in Jordan at the time.
• In the October war of 1973, the US shipped 22,325 tons of military hardware in a strategic airlift operation called “Operation Nickel Grass” to save Israel from what many viewed as impending defeat by the Arab armies.
• In 1978, under then-president Jimmy Carter, the US succeeded in negotiating the Camp David Accords that was signed at the White House by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin on Sep. 17, 1978. This effectively froze Egypt out of the Arab-Israeli conflict, thus ensuring the balance of power in favour of Israel.
• In June 1982, the US Secretary of State Alexander Haig gave the green light to Israel for its invasion of Lebanon (this resulted in his resignation after it became public in July 1982). At the end of the war, the US envoy Philip Habib guaranteed the safety of the Palestinian refugee camps and promised that Israeli forces won’t enter Beirut, all in exchange for the evacuation of the Palestinian resistance forces from the capital city. Both promises were broken and the final result was the horrible Sabra and Chattila massacre.
• The US- Israeli objectives of the Oslo accords in 1993 were to again liquidate the Palestinian national struggle and stop the growing Arab and international support for the first Palestinian intifada. The Oslo accords promised a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza by 1998, at the end of that first so-called interim period. However, instead of fulfilling this promise, we saw more oppression, more brutality and more than doubling of the illegal Israeli settlement units.
• Similar to June 1982, in March 2002, the Israelis got the green light from U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney to re-occupy the Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, in what is known as area A in the Oslo accords. This was in direct violation of the Oslo accords that were signed in front of US President Clinton. The Washington Post reported on March 25, 2002 that “Shimon Schiffer, arguably Israel’s best-connected political reporter, wrote in the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth today that when Vice President Cheney visited Israel last week, Sharon ‘reached an agreement’ with him that if Zinni’s mission fails, Washington would support Israeli strikes on the Palestinians. U.S. officials did not deny the report.” (see: Israel Plans Big Assault If Truce Talks Fail )
• “Long-time and now recently deceased confidant to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Uri Dan, published a book in France…titled Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait in which he accused the former prime minister of assassinating Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasser Arafat by poisoning him. Dan claimed Sharon got approval from George Bush [our emphasis] by phone early in 2004 to proceed with his plan”. (Stephen Lendman in Counterpunch)
• The U.S. supported the 2006 war on Lebanon politically, diplomatically and militarily, Israel devastated the Lebanese infrastructure, committed unspeakable war crimes and dropped four million cluster bomblets near the end of the war.
• While the U.S. government uses the weapon of boycotts frequently against any country that does not comply with U.S. dictates, nonetheless the United States adopted two “antiboycott” laws in the 1970s, primarily to protect Israel from any boycott campaigns. Aside from the massive US military and economic assistance given to Israel on a yearly basis, the US also grants tax-deductible status to many of Israel’s institutions, including the racist and supremacist “Jewish National Fund” via the “United Jewish Appeal”.
• The U.S., Israel and other Western countries decided in early 2006 to punish the Palestinian people for practising their democratic rights and electing a government the West and Israel did not favour. They imposed sanctions, cut humanitarian aid and then in July 2007 imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip, locking up 1.5 million Palestinians in a huge ghetto, committing crimes against humanity in the process, according to the UN and various human rights organizations.
• From September 10, 1972 to Nov. 11, 2006, the US vetoed 42 resolutions in order to protect Israel from any serious and substantive action by the UN. In doing so it encouraged Israel to continue with ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and occupation thereby sabotaging any chance for peace in the region. Without US financing, Israel cannot exist as a state, let alone continue its brazen atrocities and war crimes. The US is therefore enabling Israel in all its crimes against humanity.
• The U.S. and Israel wanted the “Palestinian Authority” to be a puppet for them or a carbon copy of the earlier Israeli collaborators, the “Village League”, as predicted by the late Israel Shahak in an interview in Nov. 1993 with the Voice of Palestine, Canada. This was not possible to achieve until after the liquidation of Yasser Arafat. Following his death, Mahmoud Abbas took over the PLO in November 2004 and the PA Presidency in January 2005 and for the past four years, closer security ties with the U.S. and Israel have been established. Of particular concern for all Palestinians is the $161 million mission of U.S. General Keith Dayton, started three years ago, involving the direct training of the Palestinian security forces. In a recent statement Gen. Dayton stated: “Nothing I or my team do here will jeopardize the security interests of the State of Israel. Period. Full stop. … It’s not what we do as Americans.” (Interview with the Jerusalem Post Dec. 11, 2008.)
• Since 1990 and the first Gulf War, through the deadly U.S.-led sanctions against the Iraqi people and followed by the second illegal aggression against Iraq in 2003, around three million Iraqis have been killed and four million Iraqis have become refugees. The sole objective is the control of Iraqi oil and the installation of a pro-US regime.
• All over the Arab world and globally, US policy objectives have been to install and maintain dictatorships loyal to the US through covert operations, economic sanctions and brutal military interventions, for the sole purpose of serving US interests. This is done with total disregard for other nations’ human rights, political and economic interests, sovereignty, democracy and dignity.

We might have waited and given U.S. president-elect Barak Obama the chance to “change” the US imperialist policies towards the peoples of the world including Palestine. Regrettably, many of his actions and appointments so far indicate that he will continue with business as usual. We also draw our conclusions from two distinguished Arab American leaders. Firstly, RALPH NADER in his “Open Letter to Senator Obama and former US senator JAMES G. ABOUREZK in his article “How to Vote Against Your Own Interests“.

On Nov 26, 1938 the great Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi stated about Palestine: “…it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the bomb. They can settle in Palestine only by the goodwill of the Arabs. They should seek to convert the Arab heart…There are hundreds of ways of reasoning with the Arabs, if they will only discard the help of the British bayonet. As it is, they are co-shares with the British in despoiling a people who have done no wrong to them.”

Also on May 18, 1947, he stated: “If it is a religious longing then surely terrorism has no place. They should meet the Arabs, make friends with them, and not depend on British aid or American aid or any aid…” (See: Jews and Palestine, by Gandhi)

In the footsteps of Gandhi, we have the chance now to use the non-violent means he taught to end one of the most immoral empires in history. Economic boycotts and civil disobedience are both legitimate and necessary against any and all governments’ oppressive and dictatorial decrees and actions.

The Palestinian BDS campaign against Israel, known as the boycott Israel movement, is a good example to follow. We should increase our efforts on that front but also supplement and expand it to include a broader boycott where possible. Consequently, we call on the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim peoples to boycott US products. We call on them to pressure their governments to reduce oil production and impose an embargo on Israel, the US and all those who support US and Israeli occupation of Arab lands. We call on the Arab peoples to hold their regimes accountable for their massive betrayal of the resources and aspirations of the Arab masses. After all the military, economic and infrastructure destruction inflicted on the peoples of the world, why should anyone in the third world want to buy U.S. cars or products from greedy multinationals? And why should they invest in or support big US companies that profit from the occupation and misery of other people? Why should anyone help and empower businesses that turn their profits into missiles and instruments of subjugation of the Arab people and the third world people in general, simply to increase their profit margins? A boycott against the US is an act to free the Arab and the world’s people from the yoke of imposed dictatorships, and is an act of genuine peace and concern for the future of humanity.

To the American people: For the past century your leaders lied and deceived you, and it has brought you to the economic and ethical dilemma you are now facing. For the past century, your leaders send gifts of bombs, destruction and misery to the Palestinian, Arab and the world’s peoples. We call upon you to help the people of the world end these immoral policies that your government has been conducting in your name.

The world will not have security and prosperity until injustices are rectified everywhere, for an injury to any part of humanity is indeed an injury to ALL.

We wish you Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Canada Palestine Association