From endapartheid@lists.riseup.net - Feb 22/2010
*PLEASE POST WIDELY*
The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) is calling on our allies to join us in telling Premier Dalton McGuinty that Ontario should not be doing business with Israeli Apartheid.
This past week, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that he will be traveling to Israel in May 2010. McGuinty's trip is aimed at increasing Ontario's trade relations with Israel. Trade between Ontario and Israel totaled over 1.1 billion dollars in 2008. In February 2010, The Toronto Stock Exchange signed a trade agreement with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.(see http://www.thestar.com/news/
In 2008, Israel announced that it was launching a Rebranding Campaign aimed at promoting the 'positive side' of Israel in order to change its tarnished image by distracting the world from its war crimes and violations of international law. McGuinty's announcement of his trip to Israel is a page out of the Rebranding Campaign handbook - praising Israel's technological and medical achievements, while ignoring its apartheid policies and crimes against the Palestinian people.
McGuinty is now selling his trip to Israel as part of his plan for Ontario's recovery from the economic crisis. At the same time that he is threatening to make cuts to social assistance, transit and the entire public sector, McGuinty is going to Israel to learn important lessons from a country that has made billions from commercializing its research and technology. It is no secret that all major technology in Israel is made by or for the Israeli military. Israel is a world leader in profiting from selling the technologies of war and 'homeland security'. McGuinty wants Ontario to become more like Israel - a place where researchers and universities work hard to develop technology that is profitable for the military and big business.
CAIA is calling on our allies in Ontario to speak out against McGuinty's trip to Israel and Ontario's growing ties to Israeli Apartheid.
What can you do?
1. Take one minute to email Dalton McGuinty demanding the he cancel his trip to Apartheid Israel (sample email and contact info below).
2. Join us for Israeli Apartheid Week 2010 to learn more about the campaign of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli Apartheid:
www.apartheidweek.org
3. Learn more about the Rebranding campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
4. Learn more about the dangers of the commercialization of research in Israel and Canada: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
5. Learn more about the McGuinty government's upcoming cuts to social programming in Ontario and what you can do to help: www.ocap.ca (Ontario Coalition Against Poverty)
SAMPLE LETTER and CONTACTS:
Send to: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.
CC: Your MPP (click link to get e-mail address from list ):
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/
CC: Coaltion Against Israeli Apartheid atendapartheid@riseup.net
Premier Dalton McGuinty,
You recently announced your plan to travel to Israel in May 2010. Along with many people in Ontario, I am outraged that our premier is planning a trip to increase trade relations with an apartheid state. We do not want our province to be in the business of supporting Israel's war crimes and gross violations of international law.
In 2005, over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations called for people of conscience around the world to join a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law. Many organizations in Ontario, including trade unions, faith-based groups and student groups, have signed on to the BDS call. Instead of cutting ties with Israel - a state that stands accused of war crimes and crime against humanity in Gaza - your government is working hard to increase trade between Ontario and Israel. This kind of policy will send a message of support for Israeli actions and policies which are in breach of international law. Your visit will be seen as a condonation of the Israeli war crimes, and a slap on the face of the victims of war crimes. This is inimical to the universal values of human rights and dignity, and will further contribute to the perpetration of more war crimes by Israel. As a resident of Ontario, I find this to be disgraceful, and I am sure that the people of Ontario will hold your government accountable for choosing to support Israeli Apartheid.
I write to you today to strongly urge you to cancel your trip to Israel. The Ontario government should be cutting its ties to Israeli Apartheid, not working to strengthen them.
Sincerely,
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