 
Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
KAIROS Calls for Canada to act regarding the siege of Gaza
January 29, 2008
January 29, 2008
The Right Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
of Canada
House of Commons,
Ottawa, ON
RE: KAIROS Calls for Canada to act regarding the
siege of Gaza
Dear Prime Minister Harper:
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives,
which undertakes justice work for eleven churches and church-related
organizations, expresses our deep concern for the suffering of
the civilian population in Gaza. KAIROS partner organizations in
Gaza are informing us of the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli
siege, and urgently appeal for its immediate end.
We urge you, Prime Minister, to issue a statement
immediately condemning the siege and calling for the restoration
of essential humanitarian aid, including supplies of fuel. It is
also vital that Israel be pressed to reopen the borders of Gaza
for trade - so that people can work and supply their own needs.
KAIROS condemns the rocket attacks on Israeli towns
from Gaza. All attacks on civilians are a violation of international
law. We join Palestinian and Israeli partners in stating that Palestinian
fighters must stop targeting civilians in Israeli towns.
We also echo the voices of Palestinian and Israeli
partners who say that these attacks in no way justify this siege,
which severely harms 1.5 million men, women and children. Israel
is obligated, as an occupying power, to ensure the safety and welfare
of civilians living in the occupied territories. The Israeli government’s
declaring Gaza a “hostile entity” does not allow it
to ignore its obligations to the territory.
Canada has been notably silent on this crisis. Under
the 1949 Geneva
Conventions, to which Canada is a signatory, collective punishment
is a war crime. Article 33 states: "No protected person may
be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed," and "collective
penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism
are prohibited." Canada has an obligation to speak out against
this collective punishment of the people in Gaza.
KAIROS is further disturbed that Canada voted against
a United Nations resolution at the Special Sixth Session of the
U. N. Human Rights Council, which condemned the Israeli human rights
violations in Gaza. Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has
recently visited the region and must surely be aware of the devastating
impact on civilians of Israel’s siege in the context of its
long occupation of Palestinian territories.
The closure of the border crossings from Israel into
Gaza is causing severe shortages of food and medical supplies.
Due to Israel’s embargo of electricity and fuel supplies,
Gaza’s power plant has had to shut down. There is no electricity
or fuel for hospitals, ambulances, or to pump water. On January
22, one shipment of fuel was allowed in, enough for only one week.
The church based Department of Services to Palestinian
Refugees stated on January 21st: “All Palestinians in Gaza
are paying a very heavy price indeed. Scores have been killed and
others seriously injured by Israeli military strikes. As the
border crossing points remain closed, there are tragic stories
of chronically ill patients dying as they await permission
to cross. The latest is a 14-year old boy who died of cancer on
Sunday, January 20th.”
We affirm the conviction of Israeli and Palestinian
partners in the region that the long-standing issues between Israelis
and Palestinians cannot be resolved militarily. The ongoing Israeli
occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, in violation
of international law, is a profound injustice blocking a lasting
peace.
We therefore call on the Canadian government to:
- request that the Israeli government and its army
put an immediate end to the siege of Gaza
- work with others in the international community
to bring about a sustainable, negotiated resolution based on
an end to the Israeli occupation, which forms the basis of
the conflict.
We look forward to hearing what actions our government
is taking on this issue.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Curtis,
Chair of the Board
C.c.:
The Hon. Stephane Dion
Leader of the Opposition
Liberal Party of Canada
The Hon. Gilles Duceppe
Leader of the
Bloc Québécois
The Hon. Jack Layton
Leader of the New
Democratic Party
The Hon. Maxime Bernier
Minister of Foreign
Affairs
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