I emailed the following to the Leaders of Official Opposition as well as Harper and Baird to voice my discontent with the official Canadian policy on this troubling issue. If you wish to copy and send it be my guest:
November 30, 2012
Open Letter
Members, Official Opposition
Parliament of Canada
Subject: Canadian Opposition to UN Recognition of Statehood of Palestine
On November 29tth, 2012 Foreign Minister John Baird on behalf of the Harper Government on behalf of all Canadians, clearly voiced its opposition by voting against United Nations recognition of Palestine as a State with non-member, observer status. This is clearly in support of the non-statehood position held by the governments of Israel, the United States and, six other (unnamed) nations. Mr. Baird went even further to speak to the assembly to propose that Canada would take further (non-specific) steps to impede the recognition for the State of Palestine.
Mr. Baird’s denouncement was equally and strongly pronounced by Susan Rice, United States UN Ambassador and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose respective responses made it clear the statehood of Palestine ‘won’t change anything,’ 1.
Speaking not only as a Canadian citizen but too, a Global citizen; I have made an earnest effort to educate myself to the extent possible, going beyond the few minutes of daily reporting by national and international media, to understand what is obviously a very complex, geo-political situation that dates back centuries. The infusion of the obvious cultural and religious differences of the peoples of the region only serves to further mire and complicate any resolution to this conflict.
As implied here, the history of the dispute between the Arab Peoples of Palestine and Israel dates back principally, to 1948 with the United Nation’s recognition of the State of Israel, a settlement on Palestinian lands. Since that historical decision the conflict has escalated proportionate to Israel policy to ‘settle’ more of former Palestine to the extent that today Israeli occupation represents the majority what can now be termed: former Palestinian land. (see map)2
If this doesn’t say it all
It is widely understood that the people and government of Israel lay claim to these lands on the strength of ancient Hebrew biblical and religious belief that these disputed lands are given them by God however; the contemporary issue goes beyond the dispute over land-rights to that of basic human rights and human dignity.
As reflected by the latest map (above) the citizens of the now formally recognized State of Palestine comprising Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, are militarily forced into substandard living conditions that are tantamount to that of concentration camps contained by a massive concrete barrier walls to delineate Palestine lands. Palestinian movement for work and commerce are policed and regulated by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) military checkpoints manned and monitored by conscripted young soldiers who are documented as being excessively abusive in the exercising of their official duties.
Surveys of the Israeli populace reflects the general tenor by a significant portion who are as equally tired and threatened by the volatility of the situation, that speaks to the eradication of the Palestinian Peoples completely; run them off the lands so the entire region will, once and forever, be Israel.3
The most recent conflict named Pillar of Defense by the IDF sparked by the assassination of a leading Hamas official lasting six days resulted in numerous casualties and though the toll varies according to source, it can confidently be stated that the ratio of Palestinian versus Israeli casualties is a minimum of 10:1 respectively. Too, the destruction of property and infrastructure are vastly disproportionate understandably since the hundreds of so-called missiles fired by Hamas operatives represent nothing more then mediocre pipe-bombs versus the arsenal of United States sourced sophisticated, targeted rocket launchers and white-phosphorous cluster-bombs dropped by F-15 fighter jets. The hypocracy of the IDF to state that all their targets were directed at Hamas militants only and the `collateral casualties’ attributed to Hamas using citizens as `human-shields’ is preposterous; given that there is effectively no way to differentiate official Hamas territory from that for the balance of the Palestinian citizenry. Compounding this obvious imbalance is the sophisticated anti-rocket defense shield provided Israel by the United States named: Iron Dome to affectively protect the majority of Israeli citizens further supported by designated bomb-shelters. Unfortunately the only shielding and shelter for women and children of Gaza is the concrete roof over their heads that serves also to kill and injure with each volley of bombs and missiles.
Obviously the discussion to reflect the total imbalance and the obvious genocide inflicted on the People of Palestine goes beyond the issue of land rights; any legitimate, rational thinking and feeling human-being must be able to view what Israel, with the official support of the Harper Government (in defiance of reference as: Canadian Government), the United States and six other nations is humanely: WRONG!
To conclude: My frustration as a caring human-being, living in the wonderful country that is Canada, demands the denouncement of the HARPER GOVERNMENT and its illegal support for the actions of the State of Israel against the Peoples of the State of Palestine further supported by the government of the United States.
As all Canadians are affected by the current policy position of the HARPER GOVERNMENT supporting the State of Israel and its occupation policies; a referendum oriented debate should be demanded by the Official Parliamentary Opposition on behalf all Canadians to reflect a National policy view to this globally-affecting, important issue.
Canadian Citizen
NOV 30th, 2012: CBC INTERVIEW WITH CND MINISTER FOREIGN AFFAIRS Recalling Diplomats: John Baird______________________________________________________________________________
1 Canadian Broadcasting Reporting November 29, 2012
2 Parables of Zion: Maps of Israel/Palestine tell the Real Story http://www.thehypertexts.com/Nakba%20Holocaust%20Palestinians%20Parables%20of%20Zion.htm
3. Survey: Most Israeli Jews would support apartheid regime in Israel http://www.thehypertexts.com/Gideon%20Levy.htm
3. YouTube Search: Israeli vs Palestinian http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=israelis+vs+palestinians&oq=Israelis+vs+&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0.238.4842.0.9063.8.7.0.1.1.0.1129.5365.0j1j1j6-2j3.7.0…0.0…1ac.1.T4LXBaJjkQs
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