Filed under: Calls for action
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
To the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
I am writing to express my shock and dismay at the recent illegal Israeli attacks on the Palestinian city of Gaza. More than 400 Palestinians have been helplessly killed by Israel’s aerial bombardments. The Israeli bombers have targeted civilian buildings and installations, including police stations, a university, refugee camps and the port of Gaza City, not to mention numerous houses, residential and office buildings.
These shocking Israeli assaults follow a cruel, year-and-a-half-long siege and blockade of Gaza by Israel, conditions that have crippled the Gazan economy and brought starvation and malnourishment. The Israeli blockade has brought delivery of food, fuel, medical supplies and other necessities to a halt, even as UN storage depots in Gaza are now empty. Israel continues to bar UN and medical personnel, as well as journalists, from entering the city.
The Israeli attacks are war crimes, and are directly in contravention of international humanitarian law and principles of human rights. Yet Western governments, including Canada’s, have been silent in the face of these atrocities. This must change immediately.
Mr. Harper, on Friday, December 19, 2008, you represented Canada in the earth-turning ceremony for the foundation of the new Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. If principles of human rights are to extend to everyone, including Palestinians, and if you truly seek to champion human rights in Canada and around the world, then you and your Government must act now to prevent the further shedding of Palestinian blood.
We, as citizens of Canada who desire our country to stand for the human rights of people here and around the world, hereby call upon your Government to condemn the Israeli attacks upon Gaza and to use all of its influence at the United Nations and other international organizations to which it is signatory to force Israel to cease and desist from all further attacks against the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
We also call upon your Government to suspend its relations with Israel, including all nation-to-nation trade agreements, pacts, treaties, and so forth.
Further, we call upon your Government to declare sanctions against Israel, to divest itself from all investments in Israeli companies, and to boycott all Israeli goods and services until a lasting peace agreement acceptable to the Palestinian people is reached.
Sincerely,
Signature:
Name:
Address:
Remove the Siege - Stop the War! 