Subject: Occupied Territories

Canada Palestine Association
P.O.Box 1085
Halifax, NS.
B3J 2X1

The Hon. Mr. Stockwell Day, M.P.
The House of Commons
Ottawa

10 October, 2000

Dear Mr. Day:

We read, with amazement and great disappointment, your statement critical of our government’s support for the watered-down Security Council resolution condemning "the excessive use of force against the Palestinians", describing this support as "clearly slanted with anti-Israel bias".

Do we assume that you do not consider it excessive to kill over 90 Palestinians, mostly children under the age of 15, armed predominently with stones, slingshots and catapults, against an army using machine guns, tanks, missiles and gun-ship helicopters? This killing has been condemned by Amnesty International and Israel’s B’Tselem Human Rights group.

The Palestinians, Muslims and Christians, are responding in anger against the deliberate provocation by the war criminal, Ariel Sharon, violating the sanctity of their holy places, and in protest against this illegal and oppressive occupation of their land. It is a historically-recognised legitimate right for people to resist foreign occupation.

Perhaps it is worth reminding you that the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem are under illegal Israeli occupation since 1967. This occupation has been allowed to continue, in defiance of international law and Security Council resolutions. The history of this occupation is laden with oppression, torture and desecration of Islamic and Christian Sanctuaries. Whole towns and villages and thousands of homes have been demolished, all in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Our government continues to claim to uphold international law and the U.N. Charter, yet, it continues to remain silent and passive against this illegal and brutal occupation. The implementation of Security Council resolutions should be unconditional, requiring no negotiation or bargaining, That is what we practiced against Iraq when it illegally occupied Kuwait.

If Canada is to maintain its good name of upholding international law and human rights, this practice of double standards and subservience to U.S. policies must come to an end.

Yours sincerely
Ismail Zayid, MD.
President, Canada Palestine Association.

CC. Ms. Alexa McDonough, M.P.