WHEREAS:

1. The Palestinian people have lived under brutal and illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid since June 6, 1967. Israel has enforced this through discriminatory laws and state-sponsored violence, the domination of Jewish-Israeli settlers over Indigenous Palestinians across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and through grossly violating the inalienable human rights of Palestinian children and adults.
2. Since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Strip, which has been under illegal siege by Israel for over 16 years, Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and attacks have led to the deaths of over 38,000 Palestinians including over 14,000 children, the destruction of the entire civilian infrastructure including hospitals, the displacement of over two million civilians under bombardment, and subjecting them to starvation as a weapon of war. All of which amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity according to international law. In the occupied West Bank, where there is no armed resistance against Israel, over 200 Palestinians were killed by Israel from January to October 2023. Since then, Israel has killed hundreds more and detained thousands of Palestinians in mass arrests, many without charge.

3. Canada has historically provided unwavering support to Israel in its illegal occupation, violations of human rights and international law, and system of apartheid against the Palestinian people. Canada has continued its arms trade and diplomatic support even after Israel committed its recent war crimes in Gaza, after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel’s actions in Gaza to be plausibly genocidal, and after Israel violated the interim rulings of the ICJ, specifically the protection of civilian lives and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid. On the same day that the ICJ announced its provisional measures, Canada, in concert with several other countries, cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a lifeline for Palestinians mid-genocide, based on mere Israeli allegations, without credible evidence or investigation.

Our MP, Joyce Murray, has not publicly condemned Israel’s gross violations of international law and human rights of the Indigenous Palestinians, and has not demanded an end to Canada’s complicity in these violations.

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, RESIDENTS OF VANCOUVER-QUADRA, CALL UPON THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, JOYCE MURRAY, TO PUBLICLY DEMAND:

1. A real, immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
2. An end to Canada’s complicity in Israel’s crimes by implementing a two-way arms embargo on Israel, including arms-trade via the United States, supporting the case of genocide against Israel at the ICJ, and to unequivocally maintain Canada’s funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
3. Israel to permanently lift the siege of the Gaza Strip and allow Palestinian people to determine the movement of aid and goods.
4. Canada to condemn Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and Israel’s apartheid and illegal occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967; to end all diplomatic and trade relations with Israel until Israel complies with international law and the Geneva Convention, retreats from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and releases all Palestinian hostages ; to recognize a free, independent, and sovereign Palestinian state within the borders defined through the United Nation Resolutions.