Opinion Editorials, December 2010

This Holiday Season, Give a Gift to Gaza

By Canada Boat to Gaza

Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, December 15, 2010


Dear Friend of the Canadian Boat to Gaza Project,

What if you could bring real tidings of comfort and joy to the people of Palestine? And what if you could do it with the click of a button?

The Palestinians of Gaza are suffering through the fourth year of a blockade, which violates international law because it inflicts collective punishment on a civilian population, as expressly forbidden by the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Canadian government however refuses to call for an end to Israel's illegal blockade. So instead, a growing coalition of community activists, peace supporters, trade unionists, faith groups – from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other backgrounds – are taking the initiative of actively opposing the blockade.

In just a few short months, the Canadian Boat to Gaza will join countries from around the world in the next International Flotilla to challenge this illegal blockade of Gaza. And you don’t need to be on the boat to be a part of this historic effort.  

We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your support so far for this pan-Canadian civil society-led initiative. We are building momentum and support for our project from coast to coast to coast.  Our boat will truly belong to all Canadians of conscience.  

We have raised close to half of the funds necessary to reach our goal to have a Canadian boat in the next flotilla and – with your help – we are confident we will succeed.  We will challenge the blockade as well as the Harper government’s unjustified support of Israel’s violations of international law.   

This holiday season, will you consider giving the gift of justice?  Rather than buying a gift at a store, please consider making a donation to the Canadian Boat to Gaza in a loved one’s name. 
Simply go to http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx and use our easy PayPal button.  Then print off a gift card for your recipient.

The Canadian Boat to Gaza is making headlines, and facing the predictable attacks of those who oppose justice in the Middle East.  Our campaign welcomes the generous donation from the University of British Columbia Social Justice Centre, which was ratified overwhelmingly in a 26-10 vote by the Alma Mater Society (AMS) council on December 1st. Despite this expressed will of their own elected council, the AMS executive has however since taken it on themselves to ‘investigate’ whether this donation would be made ‘to a group that was linked to terrorist activity’.

As the AMS is fully aware, the Canadian Boat to Gaza raises funds through a registered Canadian NGO (Alternatives.ca) for a registered non-profit organization, Turtle Island Humanitarian Aid, which will purchase and register a vessel to help break the illegal siege of Gaza. As the Canadian Federal Court recently ruled in the George Galloway case, humanitarian aid to Gaza cannot be construed in any way as ‘aiding terrorism’. In short, there is nothing to ‘investigate’ here – except perhaps the political motivations of student ‘leaders’ who fail to listen to their own constituents.

This recent slander highlights the lengths to which Israel’s apologists will go to discredit legitimate humanitarian aid, and why your support is needed now more than ever to send the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

By contributing to the Canadian Boat to Gaza, you will be part of the international coordinated effort of civil society to end this illegal siege and bring hope to the people, and children, of Gaza. By matching the donation from the AMS you can show Canadians and the world that this movement will not be intimidated, and that every effort to stop us will only make us stronger and more determined.

You can take a stand for Palestinian human rights with us today by donating $700. You can also invite a loved one to join you in a donation of $350 each. Or invite 3 friends, coworkers or family members to join you in a donation of $175 each. Any amount you can contribute this holiday season will send a strong message of solidarity to the people in Gaza.

Not only will our Canadian ship bring needed supplies to Gaza, we will also bring export goods out from Gaza to the world to support the local economy. The amounts moved in both directions will naturally be symbolic compared to the scale of the need, but the crucial point is of course that as part of the international Free Gaza flotilla movement, we will be helping challenge Israel's illegal blockade.

The vital support we need for this project will only happen if we continue to work together as civil society in Canada in partnership with civil society in Gaza.  Together we can achieve justice for Palestine and break the siege on Gaza.

Thank you again for your support of the Canadian Boat to Gaza Civil Society Initiative at this critical hour. As one of the Greek flotilla captains replied when ordered to identify his ship's course before it was violently boarded in May: Our course is the conscience of humanity.

Together, we can break the siege!

Sincerely,
Canadian Boat to Gaza

P.S. No donation is too large or too small to make a difference. You can donate to the Canadian Boat to Gaza today, by simply going to http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx and clicking the Donate button.  You can also make out a cheque to Alternatives (3720 avenue du Parc, bureau 300, Montreal, Québec, H2X 2J1), specifying in the "memo" section on the cheque that your donation is for the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx
 

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

editor@aljazeerah.info & editor@ccun.org