Author: cpaadmin

Indigenous solidarity: Sovereign Forever, Never Surrender!

New Article in Palestine Chronicle: Solidarity between Palestinians and Indigenous Activists has Deep Roots

Feb. 13, 2020: CPA-Vancouver was honoured to have the following message read out earlier today to the protestors occupying BC Attorney General David Eby’s office. #WetsuwetenStrong

We in the Canada Palestine Association bring greetings to this rally and express our total solidarity with indigenous rights and land Defenders. We denounce the British Columbia and Canadian governments for their colonial violence and their callous disregard of indigenous rights. We know that the struggles of the indigenous people of this land and the indigenous people of Palestine have always been against the supremacist settler colonialist mentality, that has at its roots no respect for our humanity, our rights and our dignity. We also honour the brave resistance of our indigenous sisters and brothers all through their history and know that they believe, as we do, in defending their land to their last breath.

We have also stood in front of this exact same Minister’s office, demanding that products from illegal Israeli settlements not be sold in BC liquor stores. These are settlements built on stolen indigenous Palestinian land, stolen by brute force and deception.  These are products that directly aid in and support the oppression of the Palestinian people and the theft of their land. And we were also disrespected just as you have been. But we also pledge to continue the struggle until liberation.

Settler colonialism will be defeated, from Turtle Island to Palestine.

Long live indigenous solidarity!

Sovereign forever, surrender NEVER!

Rally to support Palestine and reject Trump’s plan

Sunday Feb. 2, 2020 at 2:30 PM – 4 PM

Vancouver Art Gallery 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, B.C/Robson St.

Facebook event (photos and videos of the rally now up on FB page)

EXIST. RESIST. RETURN.
PALESTINE IS NOT FOR SALE!!

The Trump Administration has just unveiled the details of its “Deal Of The Century”. This plan includes, but is not limited to:

-Giving legitimacy to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine
-Annexing parts of the West Bank (including the Jordan Valley)
-Granting Palestinians a “state” made up of non-contiguous cantons similar to the Bantustans under apartheid in South Africa.
-Liquidating the Palestinian right of return.

These are just some of the aspects from this plan that has already been rejected by the Palestinian people and its leadership at large.

The road to Palestinian freedom lays first and foremost in addressing Israel’s regime of settler-colonialism, occupation and apartheid, in Israel dismantling its illegal settlements as well as recognition of the right for return.

Only consistent pressure on Israel, including through support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, can bring about lasting and meaningful change for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Coordinator for the rally: Dalya Al Masri
dalyaamasri@gmail.com

Hosted by

Article in the Palestine Chronicle on the Oslo accord and the “Deal Of The Century”: Oslo Accords and the PA are a Hindrance to Palestinian Liberation

Freedom for Ahmad Sa’adat – Freedom for Palestine

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 7 PM – 9 PM

Centre For Socialist Education
706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia V5L 3J1

Facebook Event

Join Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS) Canada and the Canada Palestine Association for an important discussion on the case of Ahmad Sa’adat, Palestinian political prisoners and the struggle for the liberation of Palestine today at the Centre for Socialist Education:

Speaker:
KHALED BARAKAT, Palestinian writer and international coordinator of the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat, will present an analysis of the Palestinian situation and the liberation movement today. He will discuss the case of Ahmad Sa’adat and fellow Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails, the use of “anti-terror” designation and repressive legislation to suppress Palestinian organizing inside and outside occupied Palestine.

We acknowledge that this action is being organized upon the unceded and stolen Indigenous lands of the Coast Salish peoples, inclusive of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl’ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) territories.

If your organization would like to get involved with this event, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net.

Hosted by:

This event is part of global days of action between 15 and 29 January to demand freedom for Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners

BC Attorney General: Still stonewalling on illegal Israeli wines in BC stores

The following letter was sent to BC Attorney General David Eby on December 9, 2019. Once again, he has chosen to ignore our concerns and refuses to respond with any explanation.

——————————————

Dear Mr. Eby:

Since we sent you our letter on Oct. 17, 2018 regarding your refusal to remove Israeli wines from BC Liquor Stores, we have not received any further reply regarding our concerns.

Since then significant developments have taken place, and we would like to bring them to your attention.

  • On July 29 of this year, the Federal Court ruled that “product of Israel” labels from wines made in the West Bank, in the occupied Palestinian territories are “false, misleading and deceptive,” and ordered the removal of such labels.
  • On August 2nd, 2019, the NDP issued a statement in support of this Court ruling that stated:
    “New Democrats welcome this decision, which we view as a step forward for justice in Israel and Palestine…These settlements are illegal and clearly violate the fourth Geneva Convention…Products made in illegal settlements that are imported into Canada with “Product of Israel” labels fly in the face of the Government of Canada’s policy on the status of Palestinian territory as well as international law.”
  • On September 6, 2019 “Canada’s attorney general announced he was appealing a recent federal court ruling that banned labeling wines made in West Banks settlements as products of Israel…The announcement…put the Canadian government squarely in the limelight as openly violating the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
  • On November 12, 2019, the Guardian reported that: “The European Union’s top court has ruled that EU countries must identify products made in Israeli settlements on their labels, in a decision welcomed by rights groups but likely to spark anger in Israel. The European court of justice said: ‘Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the state of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin’.”
  • During the past federal elections, the “I Vote Palestine” campaign received a YES answer from the NDP relating to two BDS questions:
    * Do you recognize the rights of Canadians to support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions BDS movement as a non-violent strategy to force Israel to abide by UN resolutions and all international humanitarian laws?
    A. Yes.
    * Do you oppose condemning or criminalizing people or organizations who support the BDS Movement?
    A. Yes.

Your stated reason for keeping “Made in Israel” wines on the shelves was that, “It is the Liquor Distribution Branch’s (LDB) policy to respect its customers’ right to make choices”. We should inform you this reasoning is flawed; actually it is the opposite of the ruling of the Canadian Federal Court which stated: “because the wines weren’t labelled as products of the West Bank, Canadians were unable to make informed decisions as consumers, particularly if they wanted to ‘buy conscientiously’.” And it is also the opposite of the EU court ruling: “labelling of products from Israeli settlements must provide an ‘indication of that provenance’ so consumers could make “informed choices” when they shopped.”

We urge you to reconsider your position and respond positively to the thirty-one groups, that signed the original letter asking you to take action regarding “Made in Israel” wines in B.C. Liquor Stores. As stated in that letter, and still valid today, all of the Israeli wines currently in stock “are either from the Galil Winery, which is a joint venture with the Golan Heights Winery (the name of which speaks for itself), or from the occupied West Bank, including the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc around Jerusalem.”

Please “have the courage” to “stand up for what is right” as the “NDP Statement on Federal Court Decision on ‘Product of Israel’ Labels” claimed when stating that the party believes in a principled foreign policy . “The NDP will always stand up for what is right, even when others don’t have the courage to do it.”

If this is true and not just crass political opportunism, then we expect concrete action in situations like this where you are in a position to make a difference. A year ago, you informed us: “my schedule does not allow me to meet with you at this time.” Does your schedule now allow for addressing our human rights concerns?

Regards,

Hanna Kawas, Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association
Aiyanas Ormond, Coordinator, BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish

c.c. John Horgan, Premier of BC, premier@gov.bc.ca

Jagmeet Singh, NDP Leader, Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca

All Signatory Groups on the Open Letter

CPA statement on the Bias of N.S. Human Rights Commission

Canada Palestine Association sent a letter last month to Christine Hanson,
CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (NSHRC), enquiring about the reasons behind its rescinding “of the Human Rights Award presented to Rana Zaman”. To date, the NSHRC have chosen not to answer nor even acknowledge our letter.

We are left to conclude that the reason for their arbitrary and cruel action to rescind their award to Ms. Zaman was because of her principled position in defending Palestinian rights. It is worth noting that the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the main pro-Israel lobby group, commended them on taking this decision.

If the commission thinks that they are fighting anti-Semitism by taking this position, then they are totally misguided. In fact, by conflating Israeli war crimes with the Jewish people, they are spreading anti-Semitism and helping the anti-Semites. We suggest they carefully read the rational position of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, demanding the reinstatement of the award.

We would like to point out to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission that Human Rights is a universal concept that does not exclude any people. Only supremacists, racists, settler colonialists and their supporters refuse to recognize this fact.

The commission’s call to “all Nova Scotians to consider how they can help to promote human rights, inclusiveness and dignity in their communities” rings hollow.

Those who pretend to defend human rights but exclude Palestinian rights, are not genuine in promoting human rights. Palestinians demand and deserve the same rights as all other peoples; according them anything less only serves to enable the continuing war crimes and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people.

—————————————————–

Following is our letter that was sent on Dec. 22, 2019, to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

Christine Hanson
CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission

Dear Ms. Hanson:

We were baffled and shocked to hear that “The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has formally rescinded the Human Rights Award presented to Rana Zaman”.

Your news release (the link to it does not work anymore) states that “The committee was unaware of public statements made by Ms. Zaman that were directly contrary to the principles of the award.”

You owe it to the Canadian public to clearly state what public statements you are referring to, and clarify how they are “directly contrary to the principles of the award.”

It is cruel and unfair to Ms. Zaman to rescind her award without consulting with her. Is it due to her criticism of Israel’s human rights abuses and war crimes? CIJA indicated in one of its tweets that this was the case.

We call on you to please explain your position clearly and in detail. You owe this to the Canadian Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities and to the Canadian public, including all advocates of human rights. And above all, you owe this to Rana Zaman, whom you have now placed in an extremely precarious situation and exposed to social media backlash and bullying.

We will await your response before issuing a statement by year-end.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Hanna Kawas
Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver.