Category: CPA Statements

The Canada Palestine Association, Vancouver (www.cpavancouver.org) and the Palestine Community Centre of B.C. (www.palestinecommunitycentre.com) issued the following statement on June 24, 2006.

It has come to our attention that the World Peace Forum (WPF) is regrettably associating with supporters of Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people. Following are examples of support given to Israel by the individuals in question. Peace without justice or peace without principles is of no use to the oppressed peoples of the world.… Read more

Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada
Mr. Prime Minister:

On March 10, 2006, the Canadian representative at the UN voted against a motion calling on Israel to allow all Palestinian refugee women and children to return to their homes. The UN Economic and Social Council adopted the South African-sponsored resolution by a vote of 41-2, with only Canada and the United States voting against it.… Read more

Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations

Dear Chief Fontaine:

Since we submitted our open letter to you on Feb. 23, 2006, we have received more endorsers to the letter. Due to the large number of organizations in particular that we received in the last week, we feel we are obliged to update you with the complete and final endorsers list.… Read more

We call on our community, as we did in our Position Paper on Canadian Elections 2004, to vote for candidates who are interested in serving humanity and the people’s interest at home and abroad, and not to give any backing to those who are benefiting materially from the Israeli lobby in Canada. We call on our community and our Canadian supporters to defeat all those who are in the current Canadian Cabinet including the Prime Minister, who are complicit in supporting, maintaining and covering up for Israeli occupation, atrocities and war crimes.… Read more

The Executive Committee
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
100 – 550 West 6th Avenue,Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 4P2

Dear Executive Committee Members:

We have become increasingly concerned by recent actions on the part of the BCTF executive regarding the Palestinian/Israeli issue. While the campaign for Divestment from Israel is gaining momentum in Canada, the latest being 20 Québec groups who recently called for a boycott of Israel, including the Québec union of CEGEP teachers, you seem to have fallen on the side of injustice and reaction.… Read more

Dear Friends

Following is a letter sent to the AFN by a long time friend, Lee Maracle.

Lee is an indigenous activist who supported the Palestinian struggle since the 1970’s. She shared the same platform with Mahmoud Darwish and Shafiq Al-Hout at a meeting we organized in 1976 during the UN Habitat Conference in Vancouver.

Lee is of Salish and Cree ancestry and a member of the Sto:loh Nation, and is the author of critically acclaimed “Ravensong”, “I am Woman”, “Bobbi Lee-Indian Rebel”, “Daughters are Forever” and the poetry collection “Bentbox”.… Read more

The Canadian Hadassah-WIZO is holding its 38th National Convention in Vancouver, November 19th – 23rd, 2005. In addition to the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Alan Baker, as one of their “Distinguished Guests”, also in attendance will be the new Jordanian Ambassador to Canada, Nabil Barto. Barto will be addressing the Gala Banquet that will be held Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005 and will also be speaking on Monday, Nov.… Read more

The Coalition Against Israel’s War Crimes delivered a letter on October 28 to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration asking him to prohibit Ariel Sharon from entering Canada pursuant to section 35 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which renders individuals guilty of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity inadmissible for entry. Sharon is scheduled to speak on November 14 at the United Jewish Communities 2005 General Assembly being held in Toronto and one of the invited speakers is Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.… Read more

Dear Friends:

We are pleased to tell you that VanCity has reversed its decision regarding closing the business account of B.C. MARKET. David Mowat, their CEO, personally informed us that the decision had resulted from a misunderstanding and also offered an apology for what had happened.

Therefore, we consider the matter resolved. We would like to thank all those people who took the time to write or phone and express their concerns about this incident.… Read more

The Honourable Irwin Cotler Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Cotler:

It has came to our attention that Retired Israeli Colonel Zeev Raz, who led the illegal Israeli aggression against Iraq in 1981 and destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor, will be in Vancouver to speak at Temple Shalom on September 17, 2005.

Canada and the UN condemned this terrorist raid that endangered the lives of the Iraqi civilian population and encroached on the sovereignty of a UN member state.… Read more