Palestine Day on Parliament Hill
The 8th Annual Palestine Day on Parliament Hill was held June 13 at the John A. Macdonald building in Ottawa, hosted by the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) and supported by the office of MP Matthew Green. The solemnity of the occasion was highlighted by the theme of the event: From Nakba to Genocide.
More that 500 people attended. Remarks were made by APAC representatives and by NDP MP Matthew Green; NDP MP and Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson; Liberal MP and Chair of the Canada Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group Salma Zahid; Green Party Co-leader Jonathan Pedneault; Dr. Yipeng Ge; Dr. Nadia Abu Zahra, and a student representative. At the end of the speeches, a special video message by Naledi Pandor, South African Foreign Minister, was addressed specifically to those attending the event.
Organizers expressed the importance for the Palestinian community to have its voice heard at the centre of where decisions are made. In the main political speech, an APAC representative pointed out that, as we struggle to reconcile with our own colonial legacy, now is the time for Canada to stop playing a part in denying the rights of Indigenous Palestinians and to stop shielding Israel from genuine accountability. He went on to elaborate what APAC sees as the immediate next step it calls upon the Canadian government to take.
"From a foreign policy perspective, we expect condemnation. We have heard no shortage of condemnation of the October 7 attack, but where is the condemnation from our leaders of what the International Court of Justice considers a plausible genocide? Our government has failed to go beyond expressing concern over Israel's actions. We need to hear our leaders condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the murder and injury of over 120,000 Palestinians, the displacement of 1.7 million Palestinians, and the starvation of an entire population.
"Genuine efforts are needed to impose a ceasefire and end the siege of Gaza. This includes a two-way arms embargo to ensure no Canadian weapons or technologies contribute to this genocide and sanctions on Israeli officials directing these war crimes. We need our government to be consistent in its application of international law. Rather than playing verbal gymnastics, our government should express clear support for the actions of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, as each seeks to hold Israel to account. We call on the government of Canada to finally recognize the State of Palestine. Besides the fact that this will allow Palestinians full membership in international institutions from which they can advocate for their rights, it is simply the right thing to do.
"We call on the government to take two actions: first, stop contributing to the vilification of public demonstrations and University encampments, and put an end to a long-standing tradition of smearing those advocating for Palestinian rights and of actively contributing to Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism."
June 13, Palestine Day on Parliament Hill
This article was published in
Volume 54
Number 39 - July 1, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS54393.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca