Montreal, May 22th / The 17 member Quebec delegation to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories has been denied entry to Gaza by Israeli authorities at the Erez Crossing Point on Thursday May 21st. Since Sunday May 17th, the delegation has travelled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
''We are very disappointed by the Israeli refusal to let us into Gaza'' said delegation member Lorraine Guay. 'We are here for peace. I do not understand why they will not let us in. It did not feel like border guards telling us we can't get in but rather like prison guards telling us 'No entry into Gaza Prison'. I could understand such a refusal if Gaza were a prison... Maybe it is...''
Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine spokesperson Ehab Lotayef added that the blockade of Gaza for the past 2 years and the killing of 1400 helpless civilians 5 months ago has nothing to do with Israel's security: "Israel is punishing the Palestinians for electing the wrong government.
Israel has a de facto veto over Palestinian elections. Israel has no right to dictate to the Palestinian people who they can and cannot vote for." The delegation will be heading to Bil'in Friday May 22, to participate in the weekly non-violent protest against the occupation of Palestine and the illegal building of settlements. Bil'in is a perfect example of the suffering of the Palestinian people. In this West Bank village, construction of illegal settlements with Canadian support and the ongoing construction of the illegal wall are reminiscent of the Bantustan system under South Africa's Apartheid regime.
Bil'in case became well known internationally. A lawsuit has been filed in a Quebec court against the Canadian Company building illegal settlements on stolen village land. Three weeks ago, a young American protester was shot and killed by the occupation army. For more info about Bil'in: www.bilin-ffj.org <http://www.bilin-ffj.org/>
The delegation is comprised of members of unions (FNEEQ, STTP/CUPW, SCFP/CUPE), of NGOs (Alternatives, Ligue des droits et libertés, Marche mondiale des femmes/FFQ, Collectif de Québec pour la paix, Artistes pour la paix, Regroupement des maisons de jeunes du Québec, Funambules médias, Collectif d'Abord solidaires), of Middle-East focused organisations (CJPP, PAJU, IJV) and of Québec solidaire.
Delegation members are available for interviews on location or by phone. To request an interview with a member of the delegation, please contact Ehab Lotayef : 011.972.54.328.0392/ 011.972.52.782.1225/418.576.5199
For general information regarding the delegation, please contact Mohamed
Kamel : 514.863.9202