[Canada - Afghanistan] No Olympic Truce in Marjah

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2010 Feb 19 - 4:48pm 

   [Themes:  | Afghanistan | Canada & Quebec | •Imperialism & Neocon. | •Untruthful Propaganda | •Protection Duty ]

While our Prime Minister talks about the the “Olympic Truce”, a symbolic suspension of war during the winter games, the people of Afghanistan are facing a new wave of violence.

The official website for the 2010 Winter Olympics claims that “Vancouver 2010 aims to pursue the Olympic Truce (www.olympictruce.org) goals of protecting the interests of athletes and contributing to peaceful and diplomatic solutions to conflict around the world.” However, on Friday, February 12, NATO forces launched the largest assault to date in the nine year war.

 Le Canada retire son financement de l'UNRWA / Canada to withdraw its funding to UNRWA

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2010 Jan 24 - 4:23pm 

   [Themes:  | Canada & Quebec | Israel | Palestine | •Activ. & Actions | •Imperialism & Neocon. | •Protection Duty ]

Source: Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East / Canadiens pour la Justice et Paix au Moyen-Orient
(Montréal, 21 janvier 2010)

La semaine dernière, le gouvernement du Canada a discrètement annoncé qu’il allait retirer sa contribution financière à l’Office de secours et de travaux des Nations Unies (UNRWA) au profit d’un budget limité pour le renforcement du système judiciaire de l’Autorité palestinienne et d’autres programmes d’aide alimentaire. La nouvelle survient au moment où l’UNRWA lance une campagne de financement extraordinaire pour rassembler les millions de dollars nécessaires aux programmes d’aide instaurés dans les territoires palestiniens occupés.

L’UNRWA fournit de l’assistance à 4,67 millions de réfugiés palestiniens à travers le Moyen-Orient et gère des programmes dans les secteurs de l’éducation, de la santé et d’autres services sociaux dans 59 camps de réfugiés palestiniens.

Last week, the government of Canada quietly announced it would discontinue its long-standing financial contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and redirect the monies to strengthen the judicial system of the Palestinian Authority and other food assistance programs. The news came out as UNRWA launched a special fundraising campaign to collect millions of dollars needed to support programs in the occupied Palestinian territories.

UNRWA provides assistance to 4.67 million Palestinian refugees scattered throughout the Middle East and administers programs in the areas of education, health and other social services in 59 Palestinian refugee camps.

Action : (fr) système pour facilement écrire aux partis fédéraux contre cette mesure
(en) system to easily write to the federal parties against this measure
(Bloc, Cons., Lib., NPD/NDP, etc.)

 Gaza Dec/Jan 2010 : Nous sommes déterminés à briser le siège - We are determined to break the siege

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Dec 21 - 7:06pm 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Activ. & Actions | •Crime a. humanity | •Sanctions-blockade ]

Français & English

January 1, 2010 – For months international, Israeli, and Palestinian activists have been planning the Gaza Freedom March. Organizers hoped an international delegation of 1300 activists from around the world would break the siege on Gaza by marching through Gaza to the northern border and through the Erez crossing, join the Israeli march. The Real News attended the Israeli side of the protest, and though the Egyptian government prevented the activists from entering Gaza, hundreds gathered to raise awareness of the desperate situation in Gaza a year after Operation Cast Lead. [transcript and TheREALnews here »»]

Le groupe Codepink dans la délégation canadienne vers Gaza

:: Video for the Canada/Quebec delegation (sous-titré en français)

 [Palestine] 18 Demonstrators arrested after a Gate in the Wall was Breached in Deir alGhussoun

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Nov 15 - 3:19am 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Soc: Associations | ::Justice & Human Rights:: ]

14 November 2009
(إصابة متظاهر واعتقال ثمانية عشر شابا خلال مظاهرة ضد الجدار العنصري في دير الغصون)

The protesters were arrested as the demonstration was coming to an end, by soldiers who invaded the village and flanked them from the back.

Eighteen demonstrators were arrested today in the West Bank village of Deir alGhussoun, north of Tul Karem, after Israel’s Separation Wall was breached by Palestinian, Israeli and international protesters. The protesters intended to march to village’s lands that were left isolated behind the Wall, and managed to break open one of the barrier’s gates.

 L'Assemblée de l'ONU adopte le rapport Goldstone / UN Assembly adopts Goldstone report

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Nov 11 - 1:20pm 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Crime of War | ::World Relations:: ]

L’Assemblée générale de l’ONU adopte une résolution en faveur du rapport Goldstone

Ce jeudi 5 novembre, les représentants des États membres de l’ONU adoptaient une résolution reprenant l’essentiel des recommandations du rapport Goldstone. Ce rapport, qui a déjà été approuvé par le Conseil des droits de l’Homme de l’ONU en octobre dernier, soulève des accusations de crimes de guerre commis à Gaza durant l’assaut israélien de l’hiver dernier. Après deux journées complètes de délibérations, le vote de l’Assemblée générale s’est soldé par 114 voix pour, 18 voix contre et 44 abstentions. Les États-Unis et le Canada ont voté contre la résolution, de même que sept des vingt-sept États européens, tandis que la Russie, la France et le Grande-Bretagne se sont plutôt abstenus. La plupart des pays en développement de même que le groupe des non-alignés ont voté en faveur de la résolution. [suite ci-dessous]

UN General Assembly adopts a resolution in support of the Goldstone report

On Thursday, November 5th, Member States at the United Nations adopted a resolution supporting the main recommendations of the Goldstone report. The report, which had already been approved by the UN Human Rights Council last October, raises accusations of war crimes committed in Gaza during the Israeli assault last winter. After two full days of deliberations, the vote of the General Assembly ended with 114 votes for, 18 against and 44 abstentions. The United States and Canada voted against the resolution, as well as seven out of twenty-seven European states, while Russia, France and Great Britain abstained. Most developing countries as well as the Non-Aligned Movement voted in favour of the resolution. [rest below]

— Canadiens pour la Justice et la Paix au Moyen-Orient / Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPMO/CJPME)*

 Quebec Court rejects Bil'ins' (Palestine) claim against builders registered in Quebec

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Oct 2 - 5:02pm 

   [Themes:  | Canada & Quebec | Israel | Palestine | •Crime of War | ::World Relations:: ]

Palestinian village’s Court Case is dismissed by Quebec Judge

Montreal, September 28th, 2009 (Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East) – In his decision of September 18th, Judge Louis-Paul Cullen of the Superior Court of Quebec dismissed the case of the Palestinian village of Bil’in which had filed a lawsuit against Green Mount International Inc. and Green Park International Inc., two companies registered in Quebec and involved in the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The judge based his argument on the legal exception of forum non conveniens, arguing that Quebec courts lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate, arguing that the case must be decided in Israeli courts.

 Dr Finkelstein à Québec! Israël et Palestine: qu'est-ce qui empêche la paix?

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Sep 25 - 1:12pm 

   [Themes:  | Canada & Quebec | Israel | Palestine | Collectif de Québec ]

Des citoyen-nes de Québec sont ravies d’accueillir le Dr Norman Finkelstein ce 13 octobre. En effet, M. Finkelstein, à l’invitation de l’organisme Canadiens pour la Justice et la Paix au Moyen Orient (CJPMO), sera au Québec et au Canada* du 13 au 18 octobre prochain, alors qu’il se prépare à sortir son nouveau livre sur la récente guerre d’Israël contre Gaza.

Joignez-vous à nous pour entendre Dr Finkelstein discuter des dynamiques internationales affectant la donne politique dans le conflit israélo-palestinien et déconstruire les différents mythes généralement véhiculés à son sujet, dans une conférence intitulée:

Israël et Palestine: qu’est-ce qui empêche la paix ?

Dr Finkelstein fonde ses arguments sur le droit international, les relations internationales et une compréhension approfondie des acteurs politiques et des pressions exercées à l’intérieur du conflit. Étant lui-même juif, Dr Finkelstein est également en mesure de tirer parti de sa familiarité avec la pensée et l’identité juive et israélienne dans son analyse des solutions possibles pour Israël et la Palestine.

Toutes les conférences seront données en anglais. Dr Finkelstein répondra ensuite aux questions qui lui seront posées, tant en anglais qu’en français.

ENTRÉE : contributions volontaires
Nous sollicitons votre aide pour couvrir les coûts importants de cette tournée.

Merci aux étudiantes ayant rendu cette conférence possible, avec l’appui important de La Chaire publique de l’AÉLIÉS et la collaboration du Collectif de Québec pour la paix.

* La tournée s’arrêtera dans les endroits suivants :

• Québec, 13 Oct. Carte ici »»
• Montréal, 13 Oct.
• Ottawa, 14 Oct.
• Mississauga, 15 Oct.
• Toronto, 15 Oct.
• Waterloo, 16 Oct.
• Winnipeg, 17 Oct.
• Victoria, 18 Oct.

 Gaza's Water Supply Near Collapse (IPS)

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Sep 23 - 12:31pm 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Sanctions-blockade ]

By Mel Frykberg, Sept. 16, 2009 – Copyright© IPS-Inter Press Service.

RAMALLAH, Sep 16 (IPS) – The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Gaza’s access to safe supply of drinking water could cease at any time. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says outbreaks of disease could be triggered as a consequence.

... During Israel’s bombardment of Gaza during the December-January war, the strip’s already degraded infrastructure was heavily targeted.

... Javier Cordoba, the ICRC water and habitation coordinator who is supervising Red Cross reconstruction efforts in Gaza says the situation is very fragile. “A lack of construction material and parts has led to a de-development of the water infrastructure, which could collapse at any minute,” Cordoba told IPS.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48464

The population of Gaza is submitted to an Israeli and Egyptian blockade.
     / La population de Gaza est soumise à un blocus israélien et égyptien.

 BBC: UN condemns 'war crimes' in Gaza

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Sep 16 - 10:39am 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Crime of War | ::World Relations:: ]

Une entrevue avec le Dr. Finkelstein au sujet du rapport Goldstone de l’ONU
sur les crimes commis lors de l’attaque sur Gaza en janvier 2009: voir l’article ici»»

BBC News – Sept. 16, 2009.

There is evidence that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes in the recent conflict in Gaza, a long-awaited official UN report says.

Selected excerpts :

The Israeli operations, the document states, “were carefully planned in all their phases as a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorise a civilian population”. [...]

[About rockets launched on Israeli communities] It says the launching of rockets which “cannot be aimed with precision at military targets” breaches the fundamental principle of sparing civilian lives. [...]

Eight months after the conflict, very little reconstruction has taken place in Gaza because of the strict Israeli-imposed blockade which bans all but essential supplies from entering the enclave.

The stated aim of the blockade is to weaken Hamas’s leadership but aid agencies say it serves only to punish the civilian population.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8257301.stm

---

Le rapport complet est disponible par le lien ci-dessous (site officiel)
The full report can be found with this link (official page)
اللغة العربية (Arabic) | 中文 (Chinese) | English | Français | Pусский | Español

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/FactFindingMission.htm

 Israel-Palestine: Naomi Klein and the Boycott Movement (video from Bil'in)

  Posted by Siriel Admin 2009 Jul 14 - 6:23pm 

   [Themes:  | Israel | Palestine | •Activ. & Actions | •Causes & solutions | •Crime a. humanity | •Democracy | •Untruthful Propaganda | •Soc: Associations | ::World Relations:: ]

Prior to the demonstration a press conference took place, where a representative of the village’s popular committee, a member of the Palestinian Boycott National Committee and world renowned Canadian journalist and author Naomi Klein spoke of the local struggle, of the village’s new court case in Canada against Canadian companies building the new neighborhoods on Bil’in land, on the boycott, and of the inability to detach art and politics.

Also: below is an article about Klein’s views on the boycott…