Montreal, July 18 2006
In the strongest of terms, we condemn the Israeli apartheid state’s military assault against the people of Lebanon and Palestine. The assault on Lebanon, unrelenting for seven consecutive days now, and increasingly destructive and deadly, is an act of state terror, an exercise of state power in its most physically violent form in complete disregard of international law and conventions and of the principles of ethical human conduct.
Different left groups in Lebanon have issued the following statement. There is also an e-mail address to inform of international protests against the Israeli aggression: lebanon.solidarity@gmail.com. See also the web site of the Relief Center – Sanayeh, Beirut, Lebanon: http://sanayehreliefcenter.blogspot.com/
Appeal from the left:
Call for Action Against Israel’s War on the Palestine and Lebanon
The Israeli war machine continues with its war for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and Lebanon. Attacks against civilian targets are continuing, resulting in scores of dead and wounded in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, with the vocal and tacit support of the international community. For the past three days, attacks on Lebanon resulted in the destruction of major civilian roads cutting-off whole areas and hindering relief efforts.
Being in the middle of WAR, you learn a lot.
Israel claims that this offensive is to bring back the two captured soldiers. However, it is very obvious that it is executing a previously, well-thought out plan to systematically destroy the underlying infrastructure of Lebanon. All of this, is because the majority of the Lebanese people supported the Lebanese Resistance in ending the 18-year (1982-2000) Israeli occupation in May 2000.
Copy of a letter to Peter MacKay, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, by a friend and supporter of Tadamon!
The author prefers to remain anonymous.
16 July 2006
Hon. Peter MacKay
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dear Mr. MacKay,
You and Prime Minister Harper have shamed Canada in the eyes of the world. I am referring, here, to your statements of last week on the current crisis in the Middle East. These statements were so lacking in balance, in any measure of objectivity or in basic knowledge of the region’s history that they were nothing short of embarassments, especially to Canadians who expect that elected officials and members of Cabinet will live up to fairly high standards when taking positions on the questions of the day.
The Lebanese community in Montreal calls upon its members and supporters to join a peaceful demonstration to be held on Tuesday, 18 July at 5pm, at Dorchester Square, facing the sunlife building on 1155 Metcalfe, to denounce the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and its people.
For more information: tel. 514 586-4415
Lebanon a war of destruction: Dispatches from Beirut
An interview with Sawsan Kalache and Stefan Christoff, two members of the Montreal-based Tadamon! collective who are currently in Beirut. The delegation of the Montreal-based group has been working out of Beirut, reporting on the events that have taken place over the past 48 hours. Lebanon is in the midst of the fiercest Israeli bombardment since the liberation of south Lebanon in 2000.
Sent from a Tadamon! friend, a Canadian, who managed to get out …
We sneaked out of Beirut and we are in Damascus now safe and sound but completely exhausted. It took us 6 hours to get here and Masnaa bordering area was under attack with thousands of people fleeing Lebanon, specially Arab tourists. I went to the Canadian embassy and … they did not offer any kind of asistance at all. They told me to manage on my own as they have no instructions from government on how to deal with this situation. It was just a waste of time.
Salaam alaikum all
I don’t have much time as the few moments of internet access I got may not be enough.
Life in Nabatieh has become very unbearable today. Yesterday they destroyed two houses using planes with no casulaties. However today, the bombardments intensified greatly and three attacks by planes left four deads including a relative and many were injured.
In neighboring Jibshit 8 people were killed at the same time and many injured as well. In the afternoon the Israelis started to bomb the city by artillery. Some bomb shells dropped nearby. I had to do some teachings to my kids how to function during artillery bombing; what to do and what not to do.
To tell you the truth, I started to feel fear for the very first time.
This is only a sign of what to come. Indiscriminate artillery bombardment.
This is only how much time I got.
I hope I can talk to you later.
We all need your prayers.
From fire of celebration to fire of shame, from Montreal to the Middle East
Human chain in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and peace in the Middle East, in the Old Port, as an addition to the international fireworks, in which the United States are the Wednesday participants.
Date: Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Location: Old Port of Montreal
Time: At 8pm, gather at Place Jacques Cartier; At 8:30 pm, begin to put together the human chain on de la Commune Street near Quai du Vieux-Port.
by Bilal El-Amine
Hi everyone. First of all, I am fine as are family and friends. We’re scattered in different places, some still in the south, some in Tyre, the rest in Beirut and its surroundings. Those who live in the southern suburbs where Hizbullah is based managed to leave before the latest strikes and are safe with relatives.
As most of you know, Hizbullah carried out a bold operation a few days ago and managed to capture two Israeli soldiers. The resistance has been saying for quite some time now that it intends to free the remaining Lebanese prisoners in Israel, most prominently Samir Qantar.
