Category: free palestine

Open letter to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme

Open letter to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme

Dear Commissioner Duheme:

Why have you not publicly announced your investigation into those Canadians and Canadian organizations who have participated in Israel’s genocide under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program?

Where is the RCMP hotline?

Where is the dedicated RCMP webpage?

Where are the RCMP media interviews denouncing such breaches of Canadian Law?

Where are the RCMP questionnaires soliciting witness testimony from those trying to flee Israel, and/or the families that have not been able to get their loved ones out of danger?

You have done so much for the Ukrainians.

Why have you done so little for the besieged Palestinian civilians? Why isn’t the RCMP providing the same level of assistance to the victims of Israel’s genocide in Gaza?

Palestinians are being bombed and buried under the rubble of their homes.

Palestinians sheltering in schools have been blown up.

Palestinians are being burned to death in tents in refugee camps.

Palestinians are being starved, and then shot when trying to get humanitarian aid to feed their families?

Palestinians have been forced to evacuate of Gaza hospitals, sometimes leaving premature babies to die alone.

Palestinian medical professionals and their patients have had their hands ziptied and been bulldozed into mass graves in hospital courtyards.

Palestinian toddlers have been targeted and shot in both the chest and the head according to MSF doctors trying to save them.

In March of 2024 the UN determined that more children had been killed in Gaza in less than 6 months than all the children killed in four years of conflict in the rest of the world.

The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel’s occupation of Gaza illegal.

Unlike Ukrainians, the people of Palestine have no air force, or air defence, nor do they have an army or navy with which to defend themselves from Israel’s sophisticated aerial bombers, fighter jets, naval vessels, army tanks, artillery, and killer drones.

Palestinian Hospitals, Ambulances and medical workers are being targeted, and killed

Palestinian Journalists are being targeted and killed.

Humanitarian Aid Workers are being targeted and killed.

Foreign media are locked out of Palestine, and yet there are many Canadians volunteering in the IDF, killing Palestinian civilians as part of the Israeli military attack. Canadians like me are helpless as we watch the dehumanization and massacre of innocent Palestinians, often recording their own Genocide in real time.

Why does the RCMP have such a poor track record of applying Canadian law when it comes to Isreal? Is Israel somehow above International Law?

What happened to the formal legal complaint concerning individual Canadians violating the Foreign Enlistment Act by inducing Canadians to join the Israeli military?

I know I am disturbed at the thought Canadians participating in the carnage will be returning home and worse, disregarding Canadian Law because they will feel the same impunity for antisocial behavior here that they had enjoyed in the Middle East.

As Canada’s premier law enforcement Agency, the RCMP must apply the law. Period.

The RCMP should not bow to political pressure or bullying from foreign countries or special interest groups.

Nor should the RCMP’s ties with the IDF influence the service’s enforcement of Canadian Law. Having seen many videos of IDF soldiers routinely mistreating the innocent Indigenous population of Palestine, and learning Canadian law enforcement agencies send their members to be “trained” in Israel, perhaps such “training” has influenced RCMP scandals in which innocent civilians and Indigenous people have been similarly mistreated.

Canadian politicians claimed our nation is a Rule of Law country. But failure to enforce Canadian laws when it comes to friends like Israel undermines the credibility of both the Government of Canada and the RCMP.

Why should Canadians respect (much less follow) Canadian Law if the RCMP fails to enforce it?

There are no good reasons– only disturbing possible reasons – for RCMP’s failure to investigate and enforcing Israel’s violations of Canada’s War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act with the same vigor the RCMP has employed in respect of similar breaches of International Law in respect of Russian activity in the Ukraine.

This is not a good look for a nation that prides itself for its diversity.

Especially when civilians in Gaza are enduring an active genocide.

If none of the above is of concern to the RCMP, perhaps the prospect of being charged with complicity for failure to enforce appropriate Canadian Humanitarian Laws at the International Court of Justice and/or the International Criminal Court should be of concern.

As a Canadian citizen, I must insist your agency should do its job.

Sincerely,
Laurel L Russwurm

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My letter began with the the letter sponsored by Just Peace Activists and the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute on the Action Network’s The RCMP must investigate Israeli War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity letter campaign.

They’ve provided a form letter (at the link below) which participants can send as is, or add to or edit as I a have. I encourage you to click the link below and send your own letter. In a democracy, even as poor a democracy as ours, we must hold our institutions accountable.

Free Palestine!

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/rcmp-investigates-israeli-crimes-demand-they-apply-law

Its Bisan from Gaza, I’m Still Alive After Six Months of Bombing

This brave young woman is a citizen journalist who has been covering her trials and Tribulations of surviving in the Gaza Strip, and sharing them with the world.

Since Israel doesn’t want the world to continue watching what it is doing in Gaza, it seems killing the remaining Palestinian Press isn’t enough anymore. Israel expelled Al Jazeera, the media platform on through which Bisan reached the world, as well as the Associated Press.
I hope very much hope Bisan and everyone else in Gaza can survive in the dark.

e-4802: Government Response

Dateline: May 22nd, 2024 – Hot off the Canadian House of Commons digital presses:

Response by the Minister of International Development

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Aniita Vandenbeld

“Canada is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its impact on the civilian population, which has been internally displaced multiple times and is unable to meet its most basic survival needs.

“Officials are following reports of imminent famine in Northern Gaza and food insecurity across the Strip. Canada continues to advocate for more trucks to be allowed into Gaza and for more entry points to be opened. Canada was the first G7 country to provide support to Gaza after October 7, 2023, and is one of the world’s largest donors of assistance to address the current crisis. Canada has announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of vulnerable civilians in this crisis, including a matching fund of $13,7 million that leveraged the generosity of Canadians.

“Canada also has a firm and consistent track record when it comes to advocating for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, promoting and protecting international humanitarian law, and reinforcing refugee protection, including for Palestinian refugees via UNRWA.  Canada has strongly called all parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law. The Government of Canada will continue to support civilians with life-saving humanitarian aid, while ensuring that Canadian funds do not go into the hands of Hamas.

“On March 8, 2024, Canada has resumed its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), given the urgent humanitarian situation in Gaza and the significant processes taken to address allegations and reinforce zero tolerance against terrorism within the United Nations (UN) and UNRWA. The decision was based on confidence in the ongoing investigation and review processes; a satisfactory briefing by the UN Secretary General on the interim report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), and the rigour of the independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. UNRWA had already taken immediate steps to strengthen oversight, accountability, and transparency.

“Recognizing UNRWA’s critical role and the reliance of other aid organizations on UNRWA’s experience, infrastructure, and logistical capabilities, and also recognizing the critical and worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, Canada judged that the lifting its pause on UNRWA was well-advised and opportune. As the first country to re-instate funding to UNRWA after having paused, Canada was able to demonstrate leadership in the sphere of humanitarian assistance; several other donors who had paused followed suit. Canada continues to take action to respond to the crisis, including by being a vocal advocate for UNRWA.

“Since March 8, 2024, a number of donors that had previously suspended their funding have since lifted their pause. The list as of May 2, 2024, includes: Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden.

“Canada has welcomed the final report of the Independent Review Group. We will be closely reviewing the findings and recommendations and will work with fellow donors, the UN and UNRWA to ensure that all recommendations are fully implemented, and the principle of neutrality is fully respected in UNRWA activities.

“Canada is calling for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire. Humanitarian assistance must be able to reach civilians in need. The Government of Canada has reiterated that any ceasefire cannot be one-sided. Hamas must lay down its arms and all hostages must be released. Canada remains firmly committed to a two-state solution. Canada’s position is that there needs to be return to a framework that can best guarantee sustainable peace and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians.”