Petition to Cancel Opening of Quebec Office in Israel

Demonstration in support of Palestinian people, Montreal, December 16, 2023

On the National Assembly website, a petition requesting the cancellation of the opening of a Quebec office in Israel was filed on November 14 by Ruba Ghazal, MP for the Mercier constituency. As of December 22, 3,917 people have already signed the petition. It will remain online until February 14, 2024.

On October 10, the inauguration of Quebec's representation in Tel Aviv was postponed. The Premier of Quebec said at that time, according to one of the documents obtained by Le Devoir: "The government of Quebec remains faithful to its position of balance with regard to the conflict [...]. It advocates the essential place of negotiation and support of the international community to achieve a lasting settlement of the conflict, in compliance with international law. Despite a fluctuating political and security context, Israel remains the strongest democracy in the region. Its parliamentary political system as well as its civil society are solid," writes Le Devoir citing the notes obtained from the ministry.

The text of the petition reads:

WHEREAS Israel is in permanent violation of United Nations resolutions by its refusal to comply with more than 50 resolutions since 1947, including Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016 demanding an end to the policy of colonization of the Palestinian territories;

WHEREAS Israel, as an occupying force, deviates from international law which imposes on it, among other things, the obligation to ensure the protection of the civilian population and the provisioning of the occupied populations;

WHEREAS Canadian policy on key aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not recognize Israeli control of the occupied territories and subscribes to the creation of a Palestinian state;

WHEREAS the Quebec nation has repeatedly emphasized its solidarity with the Palestinian people through petitions and demonstrations as well as through its parliamentary and governmental institutions;

WHEREAS the opening of a Quebec office in Israel will encourage the latter in its refusal to commit to the path of peace;

WHEREAS the unconditional support of Western powers provides Israel with total impunity, allowing it to act in defiance of all United Nations resolutions;

We, the signatories, ask the government of Quebec to cancel the opening of the Quebec office in Tel Aviv as long as the Israeli government denies its obligations imposed by international law towards the Palestinian people and violates the resolutions of the United Nations and the peace agreements.

To view the petition online click here.

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This article was published in

Volume 53 Number 33 - December 2023

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53337.HTM

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