Visiting Montreal, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories on Sunday invited the population to mobilize “not only in the streets, but also in the courts” to force the Canadian government to “ respect international law.
“I am not asking for charity from the Canadian government and I am not appealing to its sense of morality. I ask him to respect international law,” insisted Francesca Albanese during this press conference organized by the Quebec URGENCE Palestine coalition with the League of Rights and Freedom.
On tour in four Canadian cities, Francesca Albanese presented her latest report entitled Colonial erasure through genocide.
She took the opportunity to recall the obligations of all member countries of the United Nations in the face of what she described as the “genocide of 21e century” and put forward its recommendations to Canada, in particular.
Questioning governments
According to her, the Canadian state is abdicating its “responsibilities” by continuing to send weapons to Israel and to maintain links and partnerships with this “apartheid state” which would commit a “genocide” of the Palestinian people.
She recommends a “total arms embargo” on the part of the Canadian government which must “recognize what Israel is doing”.
The lawyer of Italian origin sharply criticized the opening of a Quebec office in Tel Aviv as well as the investments of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in Israeli interests.
She asked the Canadian and Quebec governments to “show transparency” and to carry out an audit of all partnerships maintained in Israel, whether political, economic, military or cultural.
“Canada must review all its military, economic and strategic relations with Israel,” she insisted, assuring that her demands do not mean that she wants “the destruction of Israel” and that her “speech would be the same , regardless of the State in question.
The limits of the UN
The rapporteur believes that this “genocide” demonstrates the limits of the United Nations in the application of international law.
“The genocide underway at the moment is undoubtedly the consequence of the exceptional status [d’État non membre observateur] than Palestine at the UN.”
“The world is now tasting the bitter fruit of the impunity granted to Israel,” insisted the one who affirms that many UN member states “betray” the principles which led to the creation of this organization.
She believes that greater respect for international law in the conflict in Gaza would benefit the Israeli people as well as the Palestinian people.
Francecsa Albanese was scheduled to give a speech at the Coordinating Council 4 Palestine conference which took place in Montreal last Friday and Saturday. She canceled this appearance when she learned that a leader of the Samidoun group, recently added to the list of terrorist groups by Canada, was also to participate.
During Sunday’s press conference, she did not want to take a position on this group since she did not know it well enough, ensuring that she had chosen to withdraw to avoid controversy and distraction.
