As Israel’s illegal military occupation approaches a half-century, it’s long past time for
concrete international action to pressure its government to reverse course. The Green
Party of Canada’s recent vote to support “the use of divestment, boycott and
sanctions (BDS) that are targeted at those sectors of Israel’s economy and society
which profit from the ongoing occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”
represents such a measure.
Without international pressure, Israel will continue to steal Palestinian land, demolish
olive groves, build Jewish-only roads, imprison without due process and impose
collective punishment on innocent Palestinians. It will continue to violate
international law and dominate a defenceless people.
Canadians cannot wash their hands of Palestinians’ plight. Ottawa has long been a
close ally of Israel and each year registered Canadian charities channel millions of
dollars to projects supporting Israel’s powerful military and illegal settlements.
We urge you not to succumb to political pressure to reverse or weaken the vote to
support Palestinian rights. Your position is consistent with – indeed required by – the
Fourth Geneva Convention, and reflects the vote of the vast majority of UN member
states. It even aligns with official Canadian policy.
And, most importantly, it’s a contribution to the nonviolent campaign to advance
Palestinian rights.
Signatories,
Naomi Klein –
Author, Social Activist and Filmmaker
Noam Chomsky –
Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tariq Ali –
Writer, Journalist and Filmmaker
Bruce Cockburn, OC –
Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist
Christopher Hedges –
Journalist, Activist, Author and Presbyterian Minister
Yann Martel –
Author
Gabor Mate –
Author and Physician
Murray Dobbin –
Journalist, Broadcaster, Author and Social Activist
Martin Duckworth –
Filmmaker, Prix du Québec 2015
Yves Engler –
Author and Political Activist
Norman Finkelstein –
Author
John Greyson –
Filmmaker and York University professor
Rawi Hage –
Writer and Photographer
Vijay Prashad –
Historian and Journalist
Richard Reed Parry –
Musician, Arcade Fire
Lia Tarachansky –
Israeli-Canadian Journalist and Filmmaker
Clayton Thomas-Muller –
Stop-it-at-the-source Campaigner, 350.org
Nadia Abu-Zehra –
Associate Professor of International Development and Global Studies,
University of Ottawa
Bilan Arte –
University of Manitoba
Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan, C.M., O.Ont. –
Former journalist, civil servant, refugee judge
Patricia Balcom –
Professor (retired), Département d’anglais, Université de Moncton
Reverend Steve Berube –
Co-chair, United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine/Israel
Martha Lucia Blandon –
Chair, Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network
Mohamed Boudjenane –
Acting President, Canadian Arab Federation
Daniel Cayley-Daoust –
Energy and Climate Campaigner, Council of Canadians
Derik Chica –
Chair, Educators for Peace and Justice
Peter Chidiac –
Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario
Aziz Choudry –
Associate Professor, Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University
John Clarke –
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Chandler Davis –
Professor, University of Toronto
Judith Deutsch –
Member of Independent Jewish Voices
Board member of Centre for Social Justice
Gordon Doctorow, Ed.D. –
Adjunct Faculty, Nova Southeastern University
Rachel Engler-Stringer –
Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan
Hammam Farah –
Alumni Advisor, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University
Hossein Faze –
Filmmaker
Mireya Folch-Serra –
Professor Emerita, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario
Ellen Gabriel –
Mohawk Activist and Artist
Sam Gindin –
Professor of Political Science, York University
Cy Gonick –
Founder, Canadian Dimension
Chris Hannah, Todd Kowalski and Jord Samolesky –
Musicians, Propagandhi
Jens Hanssen –
Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean History, University of Toronto
Michelle Hartman –
Associate Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University
Scott Harris –
Chair, Palestinian Solidarity Network – Edmonton
David Heap –
Associate Professor, French & Linguistics, University of Western Ontario
Jake Javanshir –
Member, Independent Jewish Voices
Bruce Katz –
Co-president, Palestinian and Jewish Unity
Michael Keefer –
Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph
Maureen Korp, PhD –
Author, Lecturer
Annette Lengyel –
Secretary, BDS Action Calgary
Kay Ma –
Coordinator, Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Peterborough
Richard Marcuse –
Social anthropology, University of Victoria, Retired
Khaled Mouammar –
Former President, Canadian Arab Federation
Vicki Perkins –
Spokesperson, Justice for Palestinians
Judy Rebick –
Author
Diana Ralph, MSW, Ph.D. –
Retired Associate Professor Carleton University
David Rifat –
Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
Rev. Karen Rodman –
Minister in the United Church of Canada
Member, Green Party of Canada
Marty Roth –
Professor Emeritus of English, University of Minnesota
Member of the Green Party of Canada
Reuben Roth, Ph.D. –
School of Northern and Community Studies, Laurentian University
Larry Rousseau –
Regional Executive Vice-President, National Capital Region, Public Service Alliance of
Canada
Sid Ryan –
Former President, Ontario Federation Labour
Douglass St. Christian –
Emeritus Professor, Anthropology, University of Western Ontario
Roswitha Shaw –
Member, Green Party of Canada
Sid Shniad –
National Steering Committee, Independent Jewish Voice Canada
Eric Shragge –
President, Immigrant Workers Centre
Pance Stojkovski –
Secretary, Socialist Project
Ken Stone –
Treasurer, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War
Alex Tyrrell –
Leader, Green Party of Quebec
Maria Paez Victor –
Spokesperson, The Loui Riel Bolivian Circle (Toronto)
Henry Voltmeter –
Professor of Development Studies, Saint Mary’s University
Barry Weisleder –
Secretary, Socialist Action
James Winter –
Professor of Communications, University of Windsor
Thomas Woodley –
President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Ralph Carl Wushke –
Minister, Bathurst Street United Church
Dave Bleakney –
Second National Vice-President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Wendy Goldsmith –
Women’s Boat to Gaza