Email WAO ArticlesYour Name: Send to E-Mail Address: Notes: Mission to Palestine May 11 to 18, 2002, nine Canadian Parliamentarians traveled to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The delegation included Colleen Beaumier (Liberal), Stephane Bergeron (Bloc Quebecois), Jean-Guy Carignan (Independent), Libby Davies (N.D.P.), Joe Fontana (Liberal), Christiane Gagnon (Bloc Quebecois), Francine Lalonde (Bloc Quebecois), Réal Menard (Bloc Quebecois) and head of delegation Carolyn Parrish (Liberal). The trip was funded by the Palestine House, a Palestinian Cultural Centre in Mississauga Ontario. It encompassed East and West Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Balata Refugee Camp, various sections of Hebron, Jenin, Bethlehem, Gaza, the Israeli Knesset, Nazareth and many small camps and settlements throughout the West Bank. The purpose of the visit was to study the political situation as well as to observe the living conditions of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza. To this end, the group conducted many interviews with government officials, local politicians, clergy, representatives of domestic service agencies, foreign non-governmental, organizations, teachers, medical personal, business persons, youth groups, women’s groups and many ordinary Palestinians. All evidence pointed to one inescapable conclusion. Israelis are conducting increasingly harsh activities under the very real fear of random terrorist acts which threaten their civilian population. Palestinians are suffering under sub-human living conditions with inadequate water, food and medical care as well as personal humiliation and deprivation resulting from severe restrictions in movement, lack of freedom and inability to be self-sufficient. Unfortunately, the general outlook of the group regarding a negotiated peace settlement was extremely pessimistic. Israelis consistently told the group that they believed Palestinians are bent on the total destruction of Israel. Palestinians believe that past negotiations have been used by Israelis as a delay tactic while thousands of settlers have continued the expansion of almost 200 settlements in Palestinian territory. President Arafat unequivocally stated that no productive discussions have taken place since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. During our discussions, Palestinians asked for key concessions that they maintain form the only basis for peace in the territories. · They want sovereignty over the remaining 22% of historic Palestine by way of a return to the 1967 borders. Public opinion polls in Israel at the time of the visit supported this proposal by a comfortable majority. · They ask for an end to the occupation with its ensuing brutality, infrastructure destruction and personal humiliation. In fact, 80,000 Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv in support of this proposal during the visit. · They want a total withdrawal from all settlements in Palestinian territory. In fact, there are well over 180 settlements with over 500,000 settlers on hilltops throughout the West Bank and Gaza – including the sensitive city of East Jerusalem. · Palestinians are requesting full implementation of all U.N. resolutions, some of which are more than 40 years old. Recent resolutions refer specifically to the recognition of an independent Palestinian State and an end to the occupation. · There was a common belief that while support from the European Union, Russia and the U.N. is helpful and necessary – the United States of America is the one country which is powerful enough to exert pressure on Israel and force an end to the occupation, the incursions and the group punishment being carried out against the Palestinian people. Palestinian officials believe America is their only real hope. There was also a consistent belief, however, that the U.S. war on terrorism has become a convenient cover for Sharon’s brutality. Observations: Highlights of what the group observed and was told. An appendix follows this executive summary which records six days of observation and discussion in great detail. · There are now more than 500,000 settlers in 180 plus settlements in Palestinian territory and they are being expanded daily. · The average Palestinian wage has dropped from $1800 per year to $900 per year since the intifada while the average Israeli wage for 2001 was approximately $26,000 Canadian. · Unemployment levels have risen from 13 percent to 70 percent. 190,000 people have become unemployed in Gaza alone over the last 18 months. · 70 percent of Palestinians live under the poverty line of $2 a day and only 10 percent of the population is currently receiving much needed foreign aid. · More than $1.2 billion in taxes have not been transferred from Israel to the Palestinian Authority. · The complete Palestinian Legislative Council has been prevented from meeting for more than 18 months. · 25 percent of the water is unfit for agriculture – some is being used as drinking water. Water is not being evenly distributed. Palestinians use 37.5 cubic metres per year. Israelis use 240 cubic metres per year. Settlers use 600 to 700 cubic metres per year. There have been no new wells dug since 1993. · Raw sewage and garbage are accumulating, including that which is being transferred from Israeli territory. · 10,000 administrative arrests have been made. At the time of the visit, there were still 3,000 people being held without charge or legal counsel. · Agricultural devastation has resulted in the destruction of 50,000 olive trees and 20,000 orange trees. · Chicken and sheep are now starving because farmers cannot get their food supplies delivered, nor can they get adequate water. · International agencies estimate more than $600 million of Infrastructure has been destroyed, including: factories, schools, markets, homes, universities, hospitals, up to 200 ambulances, prisons and municipal offices, water supplies and electrical networks. · Movement of goods has been ground to a halt. · Palestinians are harassed and humiliated on a daily basis by 18-year-old border guards. Hundreds of roads have been ripped up, necessitating difficult passage through fields. Hundreds of random checkpoints cause hours of delay in daily movements, and in some cases, total isolation of villages. There were stories of women clad in Burkas who were physically touched and handled under the pretext of searching for explosives. · 25 percent of the dead are children. The Palestinians now count 1370 deaths in the last 19 months along with 30,000 injuries. 480 Israelis have been killed during the same time period. Sadly but predictably, these totals have risen since we left the region. · Some schools were destroyed while others were closed down during curfews. Many are now operating on three shifts to accommodate the students. The Psychological damage is immeasurable. Children were evacuated from their homes during the night, buildings were shelled without warning and civilians are repeatedly harassed. There is a growing threat of epidemics because inoculation programs no longer function. Young Israelis are forced into army service. Some are foreign students who serve as armed border guards for three-year periods. · Many Israelis live in fear of imminent death from suicide bombers. · Palestinian children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The group heard stories of children who strap pop cans to their waists and pretend they are suicide bombers. In Jenin we found 180 buildings destroyed in the space of one third of an acre. Most housed three to four family units. We were told that 500 homes were damaged. 80 later collapsed and 60 were burned. This resulted in 2450 homeless people, many of whom are living in UN tents. 52 are dead, 10 missing (16 were combatants) six were shot execution style. It was reported that 270 tanks were used to crush the one third of an acre refugee camp. In Nablus, the Israelis carried out violent incursions where there was apparently no resistance. Four hundred people were injured and 50,000 people had no running water for 10 days. Fourteen schools, the civic building and the jail were badly damaged. The Israelis used Apache Helicopters and F-16 fighter jets to destroy buildings. Officials reported 180 direct attacks on ambulances, and the killing of six medical workers. Eighty people were arrested in Balata refugee camp but all were released, indicating there was no basis for those arrests. In Hebron we found not only devastation but also a city that is still under a partial lockdown. The old city, which is home to 40,000 Palestinians, is still under 24-hour curfew. This lockdown has gone on for close to 300 days now. During the visit, it was observed that all the markets and stalls in the old market centre were either abandoned or damaged. Only settlers and Palestinian children are free to move around. Stray dogs slept on unused roads and no economic activity took place. The group saw some of the 1500 soldiers who guard 200 settlers and 200 students, creating a frightening military zone. A number of the NGOs who were working in Nablus, Hebron and Jenin, told us that collective punishment must end and access to basic human rights must be granted. They forcefully suggested that Canada must take a pro-human rights position, rather than one that chooses political sides. It was pointed out by the Latin Patriarch, and many other observers, that to criticize Israeli actions is to risk being labeled anti-Semitic. This theme was repeated by the NGOs. All aid workers that we met said an essential condition for the survival of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians is an end to the lockdown and isolation of Palestinians into more than fifty cantons. Goods and people have to be able to move freely and the PA has to be able to act as a unified state. Free movement would also allow the Palestinians to hold a long overdue election. Israel must respect basic international law. People being detained without charges or legal representation must be released or brought to trial. The more than $1 billion in withheld tax dollars should be transferred to the PA so that essential services such as electricity, water and sanitation can be restored. International reconstruction money and partnerships are desperately needed to give the Palestinian economy the capacity to build and become self-sufficient. International investment is crucial. Unfortunately, it is difficult to court investors when there is a very real probability that their investment will be destroyed. France and the Netherlands and the European Investment Bank joined forces to invest in seaport construction in Gaza. The building was destroyed by a recent Israeli attack. Conclusions The Israeli government must recognize the Palestinian state, withdraw from settlements and stop building new ones. The occupation of Palestinian towns and random attacks must stop. At the very least, the checkpoints must be streamlined and reduced. NGOs all agreed that collective punishment must end. Basic human rights must be respected. The necessities of life must be provided. An Israeli MP, Dr.Naomi Chazan, said herself there must be more vigilant international involvement – conferences, peacekeeping forces as a buffer, understanding and guarantees when investment risks are taken. The EU, Russia, US and UN would be involved. Many of the people we met recommended a boycott of Israeli products, a suspension of free trade agreements and suspension from international organizations until changes are made. Everyone believes that the US has the power to enforce the two state solution with a credible Palestinian security force and independent political processes. It was also noted that Israel does not like or trust outside intervention. Most importantly, the world must be concerned that the psychological damage on both sides will create devastating problems in the future. The despair and poverty must end and the Palestinians need to be given some hope. Israelis need to have security and freedom from terrorist acts. In Canada and the United States adolescent suicides are, unfortunately, very high. In Palestine, the young become suicide bombers. It is very important to remember that humiliation and lack of hope are the main motivators sited by suicide bombers. Many learned observers suggest that religion-based conflicts are really not a result of religious antagonism. They are a result of economic and social imbalance. Social and economic inequalities, such as we observed in Israel and Palestine, often inspire terrorist acts. Cultural minorities, when given appropriate recognition and rights, will no longer need to resort to extremist actions. The international community must do everything in its power to end the occupation and contribute to the creation of an independent Palestinian state as well as a secure Israel. Recommendations The international community must do everything in its power to end the occupation, bring an end to the suffering and contribute to the creation of an independent Palestinian state and a secure state of Israel. To that end, we unanimously recommend: 1) Suicide bombings must stop. Reconstitution of Palestinian police forces will contribute to the re-establishment of order in the West Bank and Gaza. 2) Israel must recognize the sovereignty of a Palestinian state, with a return to the 1967 borders. Israelis should also endorse the Saudi Plan recently presented by the Arab League. The plan formally recognizes the State of Israel and agrees that only 22 percent of historic Palestine should be under Palestinian control. 3) The occupation, with its brutality, destruction, humiliation and human rights violations, must end. The policy of defending Israel through military siege of Palestinian towns must also end. The collective and random punishment of Palestinian civilians must end and access to basic human rights and the necessities of life must be re-established. 4) Israel must withdraw from settlements subject to good faith negotiations. There should be no new construction of settlements or other movement by Israel into recognized Palestinian territory. 5) Goods and people must be able to move freely between Palestinian cities and Israel. Severe travel restrictions and random checkpoints must be removed so that the PA can act as a unified state. 6) The Palestinian Parliament must be allowed to reconvene and a long overdue election facilitated. Israel should endorse parliamentary reforms proposed by the PA. 7) Charge, bring to trial or release all those who are being held without charges or legal representation. 8) Immediately transfer the $1.2 billion in tax dollars that is being withheld from the Palestinian Authority. 9) Investments made by foreign countries in destroyed infrastructure projects, should be immediately repaid by Israel, to encourage confidence in future investment. Long term, stable international investment and partnerships are crucial to the independent economic development of the P.A. which will end the abject poverty and contribute to security in the region. 10) There is an urgent need for repairs to water, sanitation and electrical systems as well as computer systems. This should be funded by international bodies and encouraged by Israel. Israel should demilitarize public utilities such as water and electricity. It is inhumane and overreaching to use them as weapons against entire civilian populations. 11) There must be more vigilant international involvement, particularly by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia. Both sides must honour international resolutions and laws. International bodies should assess the water needs of all Israelis and Palestinians and develop a plan for a more equitable distribution of this most valuable resource. 12) Israel should welcome the assistance of an International Peacekeeping Force to enforce peace and security for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. 13) Free trade agreements with Israel and the Palestinian Authority must be suspended until meaningful negotiations for peace are reconvened. No one disputes the right of Israel to a sovereign state based on 1967 boundaries. No one should dispute, particularly those from free and democratic countries, the right of Palestinians to 22% of the land which was formerly theirs – or the right to feed their families, educate their children and survive, independent from the tyranny of others.
Your Name:
Send to E-Mail Address:
Notes:
» Sunday, May 23 - Ottawa: Protest Canadian Inaction on the Israeli attacks on Rafah Refugee Camp » Inquiry after Israeli forces caught using boy as shield » Bantustan plan for an apartheid Israel. Sharon's separation scheme is doomed to fail once it becomes clear what it means, by Meron Benvenisti » Pastrami & Champagne, by Roane Carey & Adam Shatz » Alexa McDonough, Monia Mazigh attend WIB/WAO vigil , by Linda Belanger » Last Friday of the Month: Join the monthly vigil against the Occupation » OTTAWA:, May 20: Benefit Concert in Support of CEPAL » OTTAWA, May 18 - 21: Cries from the Land » Questions on anti-semitism, by Uri Averny » Discordia recalls the battle at Concordia, by Judy Rebick
