"In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

"In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

Response from PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity)
to Alan Baker,Israeli Ambassador to Canada

Israel's Ambassador to Canada has libellously attacked Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the Bloc Québécois. He denounced him for participating in the August 6 demonstration in Montreal that demanded an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and in Palestine. The Ambassador's attack is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable. It constitutes an attack on Quebec's civil society which was present in large numbers at this demonstration.

It should be recalled that according to surveys, the vast majority of Quebecers were in favour of an immediate cease-fire, just like those five thousand Israelis who demonstrated in the streets of Tel-Aviv to demand the immediate end to attacks on Lebanon. Those Israelis expressed the same desire for peace as those present at the demonstration in Montreal.

The presence of Gilles Duceppe, André Boisclair, Denis Coderre, Amir Khadir as well as other political and public figures, trade unions and grass roots organisations is perfectly normal. Other demonstrations took place in many countries to demand an immediate cease-fire. The political and trade-union representatives simultaneously denounced both the Israeli attack on Lebanon and the deaths of Lebanese, Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

It should be added that many Jewish groups throughout the world denounced the Israeli offensive: The Belgian Union of Progressive Jews whose spokesman castigated Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the Union of French Jews for Peace, Jews in South Africa, in Canada and the United States, as well as thousands of Jews in Israel.

It is clear that the August 6 demonstration was not sectarian in character. In fact, orthodox Jews took part in the demonstration along with Jews representing the Jewish Alliance Against the Occupation and PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) which was one of the organizers of the demonstration. A rabbi and an imam delivered speeches in front of the immense crowd gathered in front of Complexe Guy Favreau. This ethnic diversity and support of the inalienable rights of the Lebanese and Palestinian people is what marked the August 6 demonstration. It reflects the pluralism which reigns in Quebec. It is also proof of the pacifism and the love of justice that define Quebecers.

To say, as the Israeli Ambassador does, that Gilles Duceppe caused "an irreparable wrong to Israel" because of his speech at the demonstration, reveals his intellectual dishonesty, as Denis Coderre has noted. For this imagined "wrong" vanishes completely in comparison with the wrongs caused by the State of Israel to the Palestinian and Lebanese people. In addition, it seems to us that such an unjustified declaration by the Ambassador of Israel in Canada targeting the leader of an independence party constitutes clear interference in the internal politics of Canada. Such an attempt to interfere in Canadian internal politics is deplorable.
We are accustomed to the verbiage of the government of Israel and its supporters, such as Barbara Kay of the National Post and other CanWest newspapers. Their usual response to all those who criticize the policies of Israel is to denounce them as anti-Semites in order to reduce them to silence. It is time for Israel to stop always playing the victim. Israel is, in reality, the 5 th greatest military power in the world and possesses nuclear weapons. Some victim!
Last August 6, Quebec's civil society reaffirmed its support for international law and for the principle of human rights.

Our message to the government of Israel through its ambassador to Canada is as follows: you have imposed collective punishment on the Lebanese and Palestinian people and you continue to occupy Lebanese and Palestinian territory as well as the land of neighbouring countries. Do not insult Quebecers. Quebec's civil society has no lessons to learn from you or from the State of Israel. On the contrary, it seems to us that a public apology by the Ambassador of Israel in Canada must be made to Monsieur Gilles Duceppe and to other political and public figures, as well as to all Quebecers.

Signed this August 17, 2006
_______________________ _________________________
Rezeq Faraj Bruce Katz
Copresident Copresident
Palestinian et Jewish Unity (PAJU)
6 Village Boisé 389 Hermitage
St. Jean Sur Richelieu, QC Pointe-Claire, QC
J2W 1N1 H9R 4Y5
450-348-0528 514-428-1642