Subject: Re: Alexa E-Bulletin: INTENSIFYING HARDSHIP OF GAZA FAMILIES WILL NOT RESOLVE LATEST CRISIS: NDP

Dear Ms. McDonough:

We thank you for your concern for the Palestinian people in Gaza who, as a result of the Israeli attacks, are being denied all humanitarian elements of survival, including water, food, power and health care. These attacks are in violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus are defined by international law as war crimes. The deafening silence of our Canadian government, and other governments, in response to this brutal onslaught, defies our obligation under Article One of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which calls on all High Contracting Parties to take action against any state that violates any articles of the Convention.

We expect and hope that the NDP would demand of our government to act in accordance of its obligations under the Convention and the UN Charter, and to call for immediate and complete termination of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian land, that has been allowed to stand of 39 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions.

However, we are surprised that you describe the Palestinian capture of the Israeli soldier as kidnapping. This soldier is an active armed soldier in an army that is illegally occupying Palestinian land and daily bombing and killing, during the last three weeks alone, around 30 innocent civilians,men, women and children. I do not think I need to remind you that people under foreign occupation are entitled to resist foreign occupation, in accordance with international law and UN Charter.

Yours sincerely,

Ismail Zayid, MD.

President, Canada Palestine Association.

----- Original Message -----

From: McDonough, Alexa - Assistant 1

Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 4:44 PM

Subject: Alexa E-Bulletin: INTENSIFYING HARDSHIP OF GAZA FAMILIES WILL NOT RESOLVE LATEST CRISIS: NDP

Alexa E-Bulletin:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 30, 2006

INTENSIFYING HARDSHIP OF GAZA FAMILIES WILL NOT RESOLVE LATEST CRISIS: NDP

HALIFAX –NDP Foreign Affairs and International Development Critic Alexa McDonough (Halifax) issued the following statement today:

The NDP regrets the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit and urges his kidnappers to return him immediately to his family, if any progress towards lasting peace is to be made.

Restraint is crucial at this critical time.

Tragically, Friday’s Israeli air strikes on Gaza have only intensified civilian hardships in Gaza. With only ten days of wheat flour remaining and water supplies in serious jeopardy, the global community must act on the UN World Food Programme’s predictions of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, by launching a concerted diplomatic effort to bring a negotiated end to this crisis.

The NDP urges Israel to halt further offensive measures targeting Palestinian civilians. Thursday’s capture of Palestinian Parliamentarians further limits the Palestinian Authority’s already constrained capacity to function as a responsible, duly elected government, particularly during this time when Israel has cut all food and fuel supplies to Gaza’s 1.4 million people and withheld Palestinians’ tax revenues.

The NDP welcomes Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s diplomatic efforts and urges the Canadian government to end its disgraceful silence and step forward and engage diplomatically to help bring an end to the kidnapping, and help bring relief to Palestinian civilians.

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V. Anthony Salloum
Legislative and Communications Assistant
Adjoint Législatif; Adjoint aux communications

Alexa McDonough, MP/ Députée Halifax
Foreign Affairs and International Development Critic;
Porte-parole pour les affaires étrangères et le développement international.
Tel: (613)995-4492 Fax/Télécopier: (613)992-8569 www.alexahfx.ca
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