From: Ismail Zayid
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 5:46 PM
Subject: Devaluing Canada's values.

Canada Palestine Association.
P.O.Box 1085
Halifax, NS. B3J 2X1
 
Nov. 22, 2005
 
The Right Hon. Mr. Paul Martin, MP.
Prime Minister,
Ottawa.
 
Dear Mr. Martin:
 
We find your statement, before the Annual General Assembly of United Jewish Communities that "Israel's values are Canadian values", stunning and totally unacceptable.
 
Israeli policies and practicies are in complete violation of international law. Israel stands in defiance of scores of UN and Security Council resolutions. Israeli practices in the illegally occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories are in violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus defined by international law as war crimes. Israeli racist practices against its own Muslim and Christian citizens demonstrate clearly the most blatant forms of racism and discrimination. Many of their towns and villages, which have existed for centuries, are unrecognised and thus denied all health and educational facilities. Many Muslim and Christian citizens of Israel are labelled present absentees, and thus their land is expropriated. Where, except in the Zionist Lexicon, would you find such Orwellian definitions?! Israeli laws are based on religious discrimination, where its non-Jewish citizens, Muslims and Christians, are denied rights and privileges available to Jewish citizens.
 
Are these, in your opinion, our Canadian values? If that is so, we are afraid you are devaluing our Canadian values. We, as Canadian citizens, believe that our Canadian values are honourable and do not deserve this offensive equation.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
Ismail Zayid, MD.
President, Canada Palestine Association.