Opinion Editorials, November 2009

Canada Must Uphold International Law to Ensure Accountability for the Victims of Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

By Khaled Mouammar

ccun.org, November 14, 2009

On 4 November 2009, the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report) is scheduled to be tabled before the Plenary of the UN General Assembly in New York.  Following the Report’s endorsement at the Human Rights Council on 21 October 2009, it now falls to the General Assembly to ensure that the Report is endorsed and its recommendations acted upon. The General Assembly must promote and support the primacy of international law in the necessity of ensuring justice and accountability for the war crimes and possible crimes against humanity that characterized Israel’s assault on Gaza in December 2008-Janurary 2009.  

The Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) calls upon the Canadian government to fully endorse the Report and urge the General Assembly (GA) to adopt each of its recommendations and to: 

fully endorse the Report of the Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; urge the Security Council to endorse the Report, and to expeditiously pursue all accountability mechanisms presented therein; and report to the General Assembly on the progress in this matter; demand that credible internal domestic investigations and prosecutions be carried out by the parties to the conflict in accordance with international standards of impartiality, independence, promptness and effectiveness; establish an escrow fund for the purpose of compensating the victims of violations of international law committed during Operation Cast Lead; request Switzerland to convene a conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to ensure its respect; promote an urgent discussion on the use of munitions such as white phosphorous (as mentioned in the Report), and a moratorium on their use by Israel. 

The international community of States, along with civil society, and the general public must stand firm and united in upholding the conviction that both State and non-state actors must respect international human rights and humanitarian law; that there is no peace and security without justice; and that accountability for violations of international law is fundamental.  

For more information, please contact:

Khaled Mouammar       

CAF National President           

416-879-6766

www.caf.ca

Established in 1967, the Canadian Arab Federation is a national, non-partisan, non profit and membership-based organization.  CAF represents Canadian Arabs on issues relating to public policy.