Media Advisory: Israeli Apartheid on Trial
Lawsuit launched by Palestinian villagers from Bil'in begins today in Montreal as Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon embraces Israel’s far-right Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman
* Press Point: MONDAY JUNE 22nd, 12h30
Quebec superior court, 1 Notre Dame East
Montreal, Quebec, metro Place-d’Armes/Champs-de-Mars
Media contacts: 514 659 0106 (English) / 514 690 9603 (French), 0015145867669 (Arabic)
Speakers include:
Mohammed Khatib of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, Bil'in, Palestine (English / Arabic)
Emily Schaeffer, Israeli lawyer representing the village of Bil'in (English / Hebrew)
Abdullah Abou Rahme, Popular Committee Against the Wall, Bil’in, Palestine (English / Arabic)
A demonstration is taking place on Monday June 22nd in Montreal to coincide with the opening proceedings of a lawsuit launched by the Palestinian village of Bil’in at the Quebec Superior Court.
As Lawrence Cannon Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister embraces right-wing Israeli politicianAvigdor Liberman in Ottawa today, a long-time champion of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinians lands, the Conservative government in Ottawa is once again illustrating its blatant refusal to recognize Palestinian human rights and support for the extreme right-wing in Israel lead-by racist politicians like Liberman.
As Palestinians from Bil’in live with the continued occupation of their lands while being surrounded by Israel’s apartheid wall at home Mohammed Khatib, Abdullah Abou Rahme, Mohammed Abou Rahme representing Bil’in village along with Israeli lawyer Emily Schaeffer have traveled to Canada to represent Bil’in village’s popular struggle in the context of the historic lawsuit commencing today in Quebec.
“As Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister celebrates a criminal Israeli politician who supports the expansion of Israeli settlements on our lands we are seeking justice in the courts,” explains Abdullah Abou Rahme, of Bil’in’s popular committee against the wall, “Canada today is openly embracing an Israeli politician that strongly supported the bloodshed in Gaza this winter and who’s carrier has been built on colonizing our country Palestine.”
This historic lawsuit pits Bil’in up against Green Mount International and Green Park International Inc. two companies, registered in Quebec, accused of illegally constructing Israeli settlements on Bil’in lands.
“Israeli colonies in the West Bank and the nearly 500,000 illegal Israeli settlers today are at the heart of the ongoing Israeli military occupation of Palestine,” outlines Mostafa Henaway of Tadamon! Montreal, “today it is heinous that Canada is openly embracing Avigdor Liberman who actually advocates the continued construction of Israeli settlements which seriously undermine the possibility for the creation of a Palestinian state.”
The Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in is reperesented in this case by lead Canadian lawyer Mark Arnold who is assisted by Israeli lawyer Emily Schaeffer.
On the other hand, Mohammed Katib and Emily Schaeffer have just completed an 11 city cross-Canada speaking tour, which hundreds of people from coast-to-coast attended in the run-up to this historic lawsuit begining today in Montreal.
Bil'in's case against the construction of settlements on its land is based on the provisions of the Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which prohibit an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into territory that it has occupied as a result of war.
Bil’in, a Palestinian village in the West Bank, is an internationally celebrated symbol of Palestinian popular resistance to the Israeli occupation. Since 2005, villagers have led weekly protests against the ongoing construction of the Israeli apartheid wall and illegal Israeli settlements on its land. Both Israeli and international activists also participate regularly in the protests.
Information: Bil’in village: http://www.bilin-
