<strong>Written By:</strong> jensonj
<strong>Date:</strong> 2006-08-18 08:40:58
<a href="/article/162758857-public-contempt-for-palestinians-and-lebanese">Article Link</a>

From the Toronto side, local tycoon Julia Koschitzky announced that the city's Zionist community had taken the occasion of Israel's expanding war to reinvigorate its fundraising for the state. An initial "Israel Emergency Campaign" meeting had already raised $6 million, all classified as "charitable" under Canadian law, the prelude to a funding drive that would be launched in earnest on August 8. Koschitzky declared that "this is our way of enlisting in the struggle." The crowd waved Israeli and Canadian flags, sang the two national anthems, and provided an eery echo of the praise for unity and military strength heard over event loudspeakers.

The extreme, militarist tone that carried this rally is particularly disturbing in light of official Canadian endorsement of the event. The featured speakers included one after another Canadian government official. A Toronto police chaplain - who publicly shook hands with uniformed representatives from the Israeli military at last summer's "Walk with Israel," a march led by Toronto police chief Bill Blair (this year alongside Mayor David Miller) - directed a prayer "for the welfare of the State of Israel," asking God "to grant [Israeli forces] salvation and crown them with victory." "On behalf of McGuinty," Ontario's minister of citizenship and immigration added, "I would like to say that we stand with Israel." Likewise, the industry minister for the Harper Conservatives conveyed greetings and support to the rally "on behalf of the Government of Canada."

As the people of Gaza are starved and bombed, as thousands of Palestinians fall victim to Israeli policies of political imprisonment, and as Israeli aggression expands into Lebanon, already adding more than a thousand Lebanese to the death count from recent Israeli attacks (with a quarter of Lebanon's population displaced by the assault), Canadian support for Israel is more unabashed than ever. To be sure, opposition is growing. It is important to recall the decision of the Ontario wing of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-Ontario) to identify the Israeli state system as Apartheid and to call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against it until Apartheid is dismantled; to keep in mind the momentum of recent demonstrations against the Canadian-Israeli alliance; and to build upon these strengths, responding with solidarity and commitment to the call from the Palestinian national movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, in support of the struggle for genuine democracy in Israel-Palestine.

At the same time, it is necessary to recognize the further degeneration of Canadian foreign policy into outright support for Israeli aggression, and to pay attention to those who are working to encourage and sustain this shift. These developments represent a very worrying threat, harmful to the people of Palestine and Lebanon, and ominous in terms of the general direction of Canadian foreign policy.

<a href="http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=10768">http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=10768</a>

   

"in support of the struggle for genuine democracy in Israel-Palestine."

What exactly is the definition of "genuine democracy"? In the history of mankind, has this theory ever truly existed? The "greatest" civilazations were built by using slave labor. Just because you outlaw something in writing, it does not mean that it ceases to exist.

In today's society, money talks and bullshit walks - especially in a beautiful city like TO.

   

“A Toronto police chaplain - who publicly shook hands with uniformed representatives from the Israeli military at last summer's "Walk with Israel," a march led by Toronto police chief Bill Blair (this year alongside Mayor David Miller) - directed a prayer "for the welfare of the State of Israel," asking God "to grant [Israeli forces] salvation and crown them with victory." "On behalf of McGuinty," Ontario's minister of citizenship and immigration added, "I would like to say that we stand with Israel." Likewise, the industry minister for the Harper Conservatives conveyed greetings and support to the rally "on behalf of the Government of Canada."”

Yes, because this is or was a Moral War. (Two words that have been bandied about lately which of course have no business being together)

More, God is on our side bullshit!


Mike
Winnipeg

   

<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2006/200608/20060815.html">http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2006/200608/20060815.html</a><br />
<br />
"Currently, I think we all know who the clear winners are ... the children of Lebanon and Israel. After all, these days, not many kids get to see first hand what they'll do when they grow up."<br />
<p>---<br>"We can have a democracy or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of the few. We cannot have both."<br />
- Justice Louis Brandeis