Sent: Sunday, May
06, 2001 7:26 PM
Subject: Mr.
Moskovitz and JNF
Mr. Jason
Moskovitz.
The CBC
May 6, 2001
Dear Mr.
Moskovitz:
I understand you were
invited by the Jewish National Fund [JNF] to speak at a
Negev fundraising dinner in Vancouver.
I am deeply disappointed to
hear of your acceptance, in support of this fund. The
activities of this fund are complex and include a
variety of actions that are criminal, inhuman and
constitute war crimes.
I came to know first hand
of the activities of this fund in a painful manner when
I read an article in our local newspaper in Halifax,
The Chronicle Herald. On
December 4, 1978, there was a report in the paper titled
: " Herschorn honoured by Jewish
fund". The report went on to say that
Peter Herschorn was honoured last night by the JNF at a
Negev Testimonial Dinner, for his humanitarian work in
the creation of "Canada Park"
in an area between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I
was horrified to hear that in my new country, whose
policy stands in opposition to the illegal occupation of
Palestinian territory and in upholding international law
and human rights, would tolerate such inhumanity.
The infamy called Canada Park stands at
the site of the villages of Imwas , Yalu and
Beit Nuba[My own hometown]. These three
villages were systematically dynamited and bulldozed by
the Israeli army immediately after their occupation in
the June 1967 war, on the direct otders of
Yitzhak Rabin, the then chief of staff of
Israel's army. Not a single shot was fired in these
villages. This action is in direct violation of
The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which
both Canada and Israel are signatories. I was shocked to
hear that people are honoured for such
a war crime, and in Canada. My horror was compounded
when I realised that, to my shame as a Canadian, this
illegal action was funded by Canadian
tax-deductible dollars, i.e my dollars and
yours. To add to my distress,the dinner was attended by
the Lieutenant Governor and Premier of Nova Scotia and
Mayor of Halifax. I wrote to them and the Lieutenant
Governor expressed sympathy , not knowing the story
behind this park.
I have,since then,
repeatedly written to Revenue Canada ministers objecting
to the charitable status of this fund, to receive vague
non-committal statements. Senator Heath Macquarrie and
Mr. R. A. Corbett, M.P. wrote to the then Minister of
External Affairs supporting my stand and calling for
Canada's name not to be associated with this
infamy.
You may be also interested
to view a documentary by The CBC Fifth Estate
program, broadcast on October 22 and 27, 1991,
titled "Park with no
Peace".
There have been a number of
reports in British and Canadian press describing this
international crime, and if you are interested I woul be
happy to copy them to you.
It is my hope, Mr.
Moscovitz, that you, as a man held in respect for
integrity, will dissociate yourself from the JNF and its
illegal role.
Yours
sincerely
Ismail Zayid,
MD.
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