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Remarks made during news conference on Parliament Hill On March 3 rd , 2008 Centre Block - Charles Lynch Room My name is Bahija Réghaï and with me is Samah Sabawi. We are here today representing the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations and ask that Canada and the international community convince Israel to halt its excessive and disproportionate actions against the entire civilian population of Gaza - and we are relieved to learn that most Israeli troops have pulled out of northern Gaza after days of fighting. However, we strongly believe that there is still urgency for international intervention and a need to face the fact that the tragedy continues to unfold in Gaza and in the West Bank . Palestinian militants are targeting Israeli civilians and Israel , citing defense of its citizens, is targeting all Palestinians in Gaza . The attacks on Gaza have left more than 100 people dead, a third of them are innocent children. They have left 1.4 million Palestinians traumatised and without the necessary means to overcome their fear and their trauma. Palestinians in Gaza still have limited medical supplies; still have little or no fuel supplies - even for the ambulances; still have no or limited electricity and 80% of the population rely on UN food aid to survive. All of this, and they still face the ongoing threat of more Israeli missiles, more destruction and more threats such as the one issues by Israel's deputy defense minister who warned that "Palestinians could bring on themselves what he called a "holocaust". We ask today whatever happened to "Never Again?" It is absolutely necessary to understand that this was not a war between two equal powers. This was an overwhelming act of aggression against the poorest segment of the Palestinian people. It was another stark reminder of the process of demonising the other that has so far enabled Israel to erase hundreds of Palestinian villages, to demolish thousands of Palestinian homes and to kill and wound thousands of Palestinian civilians many of whom are children. Israel's recent actions have drawn protest worldwide United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israel for use of "excessive and disproportionate" force, the administration of US President George W Bush called for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, the EU criticized what it called Israel's ''disproportionate use of force'' Many others including Canada have called for a cessation of the violence and respect by all parties for international law. NCCAR believes that is our responsibility as Canadians, and as members of the international community, signatories to the Geneva Convention to ensure that Israel understands its role and its obligations as an occupying power toward the people it occupies. Israel 's grave breaches of International Law include: use of excessive and disproportionate acts of war against a civilian population, collective punishment and transfer by the Occupying Power of its own civilian population to occupied territories. Even under President Mahmud Abbas' new government in the West Bank, no concessions were made by Israel . In fact, Israel has greatly undermined the peace process and its relationship with President Abbas by expanding the Jewish only colonies on Palestinian lands and by interfering with the everyday life of all Palestinians. After sixty years of Palestinian dispossession and after forty years of Israeli illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, Israel must re-examine the failure of its policies. It cannot beat Palestinians into submission. Peace and security will not be brought about through violence, injustice and dispossession. There is only one way to peace and it is by creating the conditions for peace - by building a true democracy that values all human rights and not only the rights of the few. By applying the rule of law to all not just to the chosen few. (Check against delivery) |
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