Canada Palestine Association,

POBox 1085

Halifax, N.S.

B3J 2X1

14 Feb. 2000

The Hon. Mr. Lloyd Axworthy,

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ottawa.

Subject: Human Rights Violations

Dear Mr. Axworthy:

WE applaud your statement, today, expressing concern for the human rights violations in Sudan and promising monitoring of these activities.

However, we wonder why is this concern not reflected universally and ,in particular, the persistent brutal violation of the human rights of Palestinians under israeli illegal occupation. For over 30 years Israel has been in violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These violations include collective punishments, torture and murder of prisoners, demolition of thousands of homes and entire towns and villages,{ including Emmaus and Yalu, where the infamy called Canada Park stands today and my own village Beit Nuba} expropriation of land, expulsion and transfer of population, creation of illegal settlements assasination and international terrorism. These crimes against humanity have been repeatedly condemned by Amnesty International, U.N. Human Rights Commission, International Commission of Jurists and B’Tselem and other Israeli Human Rights groups.

Iraq is being subjected to economic sanctions for 10 years and its people being subjected to starvation and disease and are bombed daily, an act that has been described by U.N. and other international representatives as genocide. All this goes on because Iraq is deemed not to to be in complete compliance with one Security Council resolution. Yet, Israel stands today in complete defiance of many repeated Security Council esolutions and in defiance of international law by illegal occupation of the land of its neighbours.

All this goes on while our Government maintains the closest relations with Israel with whom we have a free trade agreement.

Dare we wonder what is it that gives Israel these unique immunity from criticism or sanctions?

Yours sincerely

Ismail Zayid,M.D.

President, Canada Palestine Association.