100 signatures reached
To: Prime Minister Trudeau, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Minister Mary Ng, Minister Ahmed Hussen
Stop Arming Israel - Restore funding to UNRWA
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We are appalled that our government has cut funding to UNRWA, an essential lifeline for the Palestinian people, on the basis that some UNRWA staff are alleged to have participated in the Oct 7 attack on Israel. The UN chief acted quickly to fire those suspected. How quick we were to respond to these allegations with collective punishment! Yet in the 116 days since Oct 7 Israel has killed more than 25,000, including more than 10,000 children, leaving 10 children per day without limbs and killing 152 staff of UNRWA. Where is the punishment for these acts, named as plausible genocide, by the International Court of Justice?
We hoped that the interim provisions of the ICJ would lead to relief for the people of Gaza - a ceasefire and an increase in access to aid, not the trickle of aid currently getting in.
It would be wonderful to see a ceasefire and release of all hostages including those abducted Oct 7 and those held in Israel jails without charges. Instead in the days following the ruling of the ICJ we have seen a continuation of the bombing causing hundreds of additional deaths and injuries.
As a signatory of the Genocide Convention of 1948, Canada has an obligation to do everything possible to prevent genocide continuing. This includes providing humanitarian aid. It also means pressing the country being investigated for genocidal acts to stop those genocidal acts. That is what we expect Canada to do.
We call on Canada to:
Immediately reinstate funding to UNRWA which is essential to continue providing life-saving aid in Gaza. - It is insufficient to direct funding elsewhere, due to the irreplaceable role UNRWA plays in coordinating and distributing aid in Gaza.
Implement an arms embargo to pressure Israel to respect the international call for a ceasefire
Support the interim provisions required by the International Court of Justice
work for a just resolution for the future so this terrible level of suffering does not happen again.
A ceasefire holds the most promise for the return of Israeli hostages, release of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails without charge, a cessation of bombing, and an opportunity to chart a very different path forward, one toward reconciliation and justice.
Why is this important?
Our government is not acting in alignment with our responsibilities under international law. We need to restore funding for UNRWA as it is essential to lives of Palestinians in Gaza, and we need to stop sending weapons which are used to kill and injure civilians.