*WHEN: 2pm on Sunday December 28, 2008
*WHERE: Israeli Consulate, 180 Bloor St. W
This is the single largest massacre in Gaza since Israel illegally
occupied the area in 1967. The numbers of dead are mounting, especially as
the already limited medical supplies are running out due to the brutal
siege of Gaza since 2005.
This attack comes just days after the so-called 'ceasefire' between Hamas
and Israel expired. During this alleged ceasefire, Isreal continued to
impose its brutal siege on Gaza, restricting the flow of aid, medical
supplies, fuel and other necessities of life into the territory. For the
past two years Gaza has been undergoing the daily violence of a
wide-ranging humanitarian catastrophe triggered by severely reduced access
to energy, food, and medicines. In effect, Gaza is the world's largest
open air prison. The UN and others in the international community
condemned the humanitarian disaster created by Israel's siege during the
time of this 'ceasefire'. Israel now claims that this operation is in
response to Hamas refusing to renew this sham of a ceasefire. Once again,
Israel is imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza for
electing a Hamas government.
The Coalition Against Isreali Apartheid (CAIA) joins with Palestine House,
the Canadian Arab Federation, Women in Solidarity with Palestine, Not in
our Name: Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism, and many other respected
organizations in Demonstrating against the assault on the people of Gaza.
CAIA is calling on all allies to respond with outrage to the latest
massacre of Palestinians by the Israeli apartheid regime. At least 200
Palestinians have been killed in the latest Israeli assault on the Gaza
Strip over the last 12 hours and the threat of further killings still
hangs heavily over the skies of Palestine.
As people of conscience, CAIA members are particularly angered by the
Canadian government's on-going support for the Israeli apartheid regime -
including the intensification of bilateral military, political and
economic links between Canada and Israel. This latest massacre occurs in
the context of official Canadian complicity with and support for Israel's
illegal siege and starvation of the civilian population in Gaza.
At this moment, we can only reaffirm our commitment in the strongest
possible terms to continue mobilizing to respond to the call by over 170
Palestinian civil society organizations for a comprehensive campaign of
boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS). As H.E. Father Miguel D'Escoto
Brockman, President of the United Nations General Assembly state in a
recent speech: "More than twenty years ago we in the United Nations took
the lead from civil society when we agreed that sanctions were required to
provide a nonviolent means of pressuring South Africa to end its
violations. Today, perhaps we in the United Nations should consider
following the lead of a new generation of civil society, who are calling
for a similar non-violent campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to
pressure Israel to end its violations."
CONTACT:
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
www.caiaweb.org
endapartheid@riseup.net
Demonstration Organized By:
Canadian Arab Federation
Palestine House
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP)
Not In Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism
Muslim Association of Hamilton
International Jewish anti-Zionist Network – Toronto
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
*WHERE: Israeli Consulate, 180 Bloor St. W
This is the single largest massacre in Gaza since Israel illegally
occupied the area in 1967. The numbers of dead are mounting, especially as
the already limited medical supplies are running out due to the brutal
siege of Gaza since 2005.
This attack comes just days after the so-called 'ceasefire' between Hamas
and Israel expired. During this alleged ceasefire, Isreal continued to
impose its brutal siege on Gaza, restricting the flow of aid, medical
supplies, fuel and other necessities of life into the territory. For the
past two years Gaza has been undergoing the daily violence of a
wide-ranging humanitarian catastrophe triggered by severely reduced access
to energy, food, and medicines. In effect, Gaza is the world's largest
open air prison. The UN and others in the international community
condemned the humanitarian disaster created by Israel's siege during the
time of this 'ceasefire'. Israel now claims that this operation is in
response to Hamas refusing to renew this sham of a ceasefire. Once again,
Israel is imposing collective punishment on the people of Gaza for
electing a Hamas government.
The Coalition Against Isreali Apartheid (CAIA) joins with Palestine House,
the Canadian Arab Federation, Women in Solidarity with Palestine, Not in
our Name: Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism, and many other respected
organizations in Demonstrating against the assault on the people of Gaza.
CAIA is calling on all allies to respond with outrage to the latest
massacre of Palestinians by the Israeli apartheid regime. At least 200
Palestinians have been killed in the latest Israeli assault on the Gaza
Strip over the last 12 hours and the threat of further killings still
hangs heavily over the skies of Palestine.
As people of conscience, CAIA members are particularly angered by the
Canadian government's on-going support for the Israeli apartheid regime -
including the intensification of bilateral military, political and
economic links between Canada and Israel. This latest massacre occurs in
the context of official Canadian complicity with and support for Israel's
illegal siege and starvation of the civilian population in Gaza.
At this moment, we can only reaffirm our commitment in the strongest
possible terms to continue mobilizing to respond to the call by over 170
Palestinian civil society organizations for a comprehensive campaign of
boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS). As H.E. Father Miguel D'Escoto
Brockman, President of the United Nations General Assembly state in a
recent speech: "More than twenty years ago we in the United Nations took
the lead from civil society when we agreed that sanctions were required to
provide a nonviolent means of pressuring South Africa to end its
violations. Today, perhaps we in the United Nations should consider
following the lead of a new generation of civil society, who are calling
for a similar non-violent campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to
pressure Israel to end its violations."
CONTACT:
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
www.caiaweb.org
endapartheid@riseup.net
Demonstration Organized By:
Canadian Arab Federation
Palestine House
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP)
Not In Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism
Muslim Association of Hamilton
International Jewish anti-Zionist Network – Toronto
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
