From: Ismail Zayid
To: McDonough, Alexa - Assistant 1
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: NDP STATEMENT REGARDING SUSPENSION OF DIRECT CANADIAN AID TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY / DÉCLARATION DU NPD AU SUJET DE L'INTERRUPTION DE L'AIDE DIRECTE DU CANADA À L'AUTORITÉ PALESTINIENNE

Dear Ms. McDonough:
 
Thank you for your concern about the humanitarian need of the Palestinians under occupation.
 
Contrary to your statement, the new Palestinian government is not calling for the destruction of Israel, as enunciated in the statement made by its new prime minister.
The call that is made by the US and its allies, including Canada, on the new Palestinian government is to stop acts of violence and recognise the state of Israel.
As to violence, Hamas has declared a ceasefire in Feb. last year and adhered to it. However, Israel is continuing its acts of murder and bombing and home demolition.
As to recognition of Israel, the question that is being asked is which Israeli borders is the new Palestinian government is to recognise? As we explained, in my letter to Mr. Peter MacKay today and copied to you, Israel has not ceased its expansionist programme since its creation. { Iwill enclose the contents of our letter below}
 
We call on you and the NDP to demand, clearly, Israeli compliance with UN resolutions and terminate completely and unconditionally its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory, and cease immediately its violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These violations are defined by international law as war crimes.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Ismail Zayid, MD.
President, Canada Palestine Association.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
 
Canada Palestine Association
P.O.Box 1085,
Halifax, NS. B3J 2X1
 
March 29, 2006
 
The Hon. Mr. Peter MacKay,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ottawa.
 
Dear Mr. MacKay:
 
Your Joint Statement today, on new Palestinian Government, with Ms. Jose'e Verner, International Cooperation Minister, displays complete disregard to the basic principles of international law. You call on the new Palestinian Government to recognise the state of Israel and all previous agreements. Which state of Israel are you asking the new Palestinian government to recognise? The state of Israel, since its inception, has refused to define it borders. Israeli first prime minister, David Ben Gurion stated clearly Israel's expansionist programme. In 1954, after Israel had already occupied half of the state assigned for the Palestinians, in UN Resolution # 181, thus taking contol of 78% of historic Palestine, he stated: " To maintain the status quo will not do. We have set up a dynamic state bent upon axpansion" [Rebirth and destiny of Israel, The Philosophical Press, New York, 1954, p.419]. This expansionist programme proceeded to commit wars of aggression in 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, against Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, and continues to this day in the statements by Israel latest and current prime minister, Ehud Olmert, who stated only yesterday, that he plans new borders for Israel annexing the colonies built on illegally occupied territories in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, as planned in the Sharon Apartheid Wall, which has been condemned as illegal, by the International Court of Justice, as illegal and must be dismantled.
 
We have been led to believe, Mr. MacKay, that Canada is proud to uphold the UN Charter and international law. If this is so, you should be calling on Israel to comply with all UN resolutions, related to this conflict and terminate completely and unconditionally its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory, that has been allowed to stand for 39 years, in defiance of international law and Security Council resolutions. 
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Ismail Zayid, MD.
President, Canada Palestine Association.
 
Ismail Zayid.
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: McDonough, Alexa - Assistant 1
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 6:12 PM
Subject: FW: NDP STATEMENT REGARDING SUSPENSION OF DIRECT CANADIAN AID TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY / DÉCLARATION DU NPD AU SUJET DE L'INTERRUPTION DE L'AIDE DIRECTE DU CANADA À L'AUTORITÉ PALESTINIENNE


Alexa E-Bulletin:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                           MARCH 29, 2006

NDP STATEMENT REGARDING SUSPENSION OF DIRECT

CANADIAN AID TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

OTTAWA – NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Alexa McDonough (Halifax) today issued the following statement:

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For more information, please contact:
Anthony Salloum (613) 794-1070