STATEMENT: CUPW Condemns Attacks on Palestine and Watches Closely as a Ceasefire Takes Hold

CUPW welcomes developments in Palestine where international pressure has resulted in an unconditional ceasefire after 11 days of relentless attacks on Palestinians by Israel.

The disproportionate use of modern weaponry against the citizens of Gaza is ongoing state terrorism directed at the people of Palestine. The whole world watched as air strikes and guided missiles destroyed buildings, homes, and medical facilities.

The Israeli state continues to provoke, kill, jail, and remove Palestinians from their traditional lands. Palestinian citizens within Israel do not have equal rights. Israel deployed police at the sacred Al- Aqsa Mosque compound – the third holiest site of Islam—with rubber bullets and stun grenades.  Israel remains in violation of international law and the United Nations has declared that expulsions from homes could constitute a war crime.

The leaders of this violence have now agreed to a ceasefire. It is time for the Canadian government to stop celebrating “common values” with Israel and condemn the land theft, jailing and killing of children, targeting of medical facilities, and much more that has occurred for generations. Canada must not remain a complicit accessory to these crimes. Since destructive modern weapons were unleashed against civilians on a mass scale, Canada must ban arms sales to this rogue state immediately. War crimes must be investigated.

CUPW remains committed to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose right to exist in peace and dignity is inalienable. All residents of the region, Muslim, Jew, Christian or other, deserve this. We continue to watch developments and call on Israel to respect the ceasefire.