No images? Click here Canada, human rights and Israel’s plans to annex significant parts of Occupied Palestine May/June 2020 Issue No. 91Quotation of the month
Canada, human rights and Israel’s plans to annex significant parts of Occupied PalestineThe Safi family is pictured at their apartment in Kufr Aqab, East Jerusalem, from left, Osama (11), Nebal, Khalil, Sarah (17) and Tarek (21). Baby Guevara, 10 months, is held by Khalil; the family is often separated by politics and the wall. (MCC photo/Meghan Mast, 2017) “We urge [all churches] to say no to injustice of any illegal political move and building for a future of equality on this land between all the peoples.” Kairos Palestine statement regarding annexation plans. In these challenging times of COVID-19, we must continue to speak into ongoing and systemic issues of justice and human dignity. In Palestine and Israel, on top of the debilitating challenges of the pandemic, the new Israeli unity government has promised to move forward with plans to annex significant parts of the Occupied Palestinian territories, with a vote in the Knesset as early as July 1, 2020. Annexation is not only a clear violation of International Law concerning forced annexation, of which Canada is a party, but it puts the prospects of a just and sustainable peace in even greater jeopardy. MCC’s partners in Palestine and Israel have reached out and asked for support from Canadian churches and our government. The Canadian government has essentially remained silent on Israel’s annexation plans with the exception of a few vague statements of concern, lacking a formal condemnation or promise of future actions. This is in direct contrast to Canada’s outspoken and clear message on Russia’s annexation of Crimea, including in a statement from the Foreign Affairs Minister on the 6th anniversary of this annexation on March 16, 2020. Canada’s silence is also in stark contrast to the European Union’s clear position regarding Israel’s proposed annexation. On May 15, 2020, a coalition of Canadian national church denominations and church-based agencies, including MCC, sent a joint letter to the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs raising these concerns. The letter calls on the Canadian government to:
Our choices define us as people and nations. It is our prayer that Canada will choose to be a nation that does not remain silent in the face of illegal actions but will work alongside other nations to uphold human rights, international law, and human dignity. What can you do?Contact your MP and let them know you are concerned: Don’t know who you MP is, or how to contact them? Easy, just click here, and fill in your postal code. Share your concerns on social media, as well as with your friends, family, neighbours & church: Share the joint ecumenical letter; share articles from credible sources – here are two suggestions, from CBC (Evan Dyer) and the Conversation (Michael Lynk). Don’t forget to tag your MP, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (@FPChampagne) & the Prime Minister (@JustinTrudeau). Plus please feel free to tag MCC Ottawa (@MCCOttawa)! Learn more and get involved: One excellent opportunity is to join weekly Kumi Now Online video conferences throughout June. Connect with activists around the world working for Palestine and join current discussions on advocacy actions. Who is my neighbour during the pandemic?On January 4, 2020, Brian Dyck boarded a plane in Lalibela to fly to Addis Ababa to study the displacement context of the region. Little did he know then that a few months later, the process of travel would become nearly impossible as borders closed and airlines drastically cut their operations because of lack of demand. (MCC Photo/Brian Dyck) On March 15, Prime Minister Trudeau strongly urged Canadians outside of the country to get back to Canada as soon as possible. Brian Dyck, National Migration and Resettlement Program Coordinator for MCC Canada, received this news on a Sunday morning while sitting in the guesthouse at the Meserete Kristos College in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Within the next week, Brian was able to return home to Winnipeg, Canada, a very different place than what he had left three months earlier. Over that time, Canadian immigration had changed drastically as well. Just a few days after Brian arrived back in Canada, the last resettled refugees arrived in Canada for the foreseeable future. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Canadian immigration offices globally have all curtailed their activities. Canadian travel restrictions allowed Brian to come back into the country because he is a citizen but refugees including the ones sponsored through MCC are not able to travel. Currently, there are about 7,500 refugees around the world who have been approved to resettle in Canada but cannot move. Indeed, there are almost no refugees travelling to resettle anywhere in the world. There are still a few people coming to international borders in places like Europe, the US and Canada, to claim asylum, but the ability of states to process their claim is severely limited in some places and just not happening in others. In Canada, except for a few minor exceptions, the government has gone so far as sending asylum seekers who cross into Canada by land from the US back. When we feel threatened, it is common for us to think about putting up barriers. However, it is important to keep in mind a few things about the current threat and our response. First, this virus does not check a passport before it infects someone. Second, while the virus can be contracted by anyone, we know that it impacts the elderly and people with weaker immune systems more severely. It is important to be especially careful around people who would fall under these categories, including those who are refugees and displaced people. This has made all of us think a lot about our communities and our neighbours. “Who is my neighbour?” is a question that Jesus was asked by a legal scholar (Luke 10:25-37) seemingly to want to limit the definition of neighbour. In response, Jesus tells a story that expands the definition of neighbour instead. It’s the familiar story of the Good Samaritan helping a victimized traveller. After listening to the story, the legal scholar agrees, the two were neighbours. It is more difficult these days for us to show we care to the neighbours in our immediate community and the neighbours that Jesus’ parable points to: those who are across the border from us but are in dire need. Those who have little access to the protections we have, like soap and water, being able to keep our distance from others, and access to health care when needed. It will be important for us to not forget those neighbours. While travel is restricted and borders are closed to foreigners, there are things we can do like support the communities where there are vulnerable people. MCC partners and workers do that on our behalf and they can benefit from our prayers and our support. See the advocacy action tool below and read Brian’s recent blog post here.
MCC Ottawa UpdateThe last month has seen an increase in opportunities to be involved in various forms of political engagement, especially in response to COVID-19. Together with the United Church of Canada and the Nobel Women’s Initiative, we wrote a letter about the harmful impacts of sanctions, exacerbated by the pandemic. MCC participated in a joint-ecumenical letter asking the Canadian government to speak out against Israel’s anticipated annexation plan. Paul Fast, MCC’s Health Coordinator, wrote a blog post about the importance of localization for the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), highlighting the importance to pay attention to local structures, organizations and needs as international agencies respond to COVID-19. And earlier today, MCC co-sponsored a panel on climate change, gender and food systems along with MEDA during the CCIC Cooperation Forum. We are grateful for this opportunity to discuss the role of gender equality and local knowledge and partnerships. |