Susiya Home Demolition Update

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Beth Baskin, Program Coordinator, Social Analysis and Congregational Engagement, The United Church of Canada, shares the following Take Action request.

Susiya’s lawyer is writing with urgency:

  • The Government of Israel gave notice on Jan. 10th that they intend to demolish 15 homes and structures in the Palestinian village of Susiya.  According to the High Court decision days earlier, this triggers a 15 day clock.
  • Advocate Mishirqi Assad, attorney for Susiya, has until this Wednesday to oppose.
  • Then it is up to the High Court to issue an injunction against demolition to stop the bulldozers now set to demolish on January 23rd.

Many of you have spoken to the Canadian Government already, but we are asking you to do it again. The impact that ordinary people who seek justice can have when they take action is clear. Demolitions have been postponed thus far. Contact your elected representatives, asking them to act urgently for the sake of justice for the people of Susiya.

Write to the Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and your member of Parliament:

  •  Ask Minister Freeland to call on the Israeli government reverse the decision to demolish the villages of Susiya.
  • Ask Minister Freeland to urge Canada to call on the Israeli government to immediately freeze all settlement activity and demolition orders.
  • Request that your MP call on Minister Freeland during question period to ask what actions Canada is taking to press the Israeli government to reverse the demolition orders.
  • A sample letter is available on the United Church Take Action webpage.
  • Share this Take Action on your social media networks. Use the hashtags #UCCan, #Susiya, #Israel, #Palestine.
  • Urge Minister Freeland to request that Canadian diplomatic missions in Palestine and Israel visit Susiya immediately. We have contacted the office in Ramallah asking them to make a visit. In 2015, European Union representatives visited the village of Susiya, which was then also threatened with demolition. International publicity from this visit was vital in halting the planned demolitions at that time.

You have already written, then give Minister Freeland a call at 343-203-1851 and your MP too. You can find your MPs contact information through this link. I trust that you all have your own words, since many of you have done this before, but you can modify the sample letter from our earlier Take Action as is helpful to you.

As noted in the Haqel press release found on Rebuilding Alliance website, Adv. Quamar Mishirqi-Assad, legal counsel to the village of Susiya and and Co-Director of Haqel, states:

“The demolition of 20% of the structures in the village will create a grave humanitarian disaster leaving at least 100 residents without shelter in harsh winter weather. The State’s intention is nothing less than a lack of good faith and testifies to the lack of goodwill and the absence of any genuine intention to regulate the village as required in accordance with international law.”

Don’t get discouraged – please send your emails and call again now. You are doing this in concert with concerned people in numerous places worldwide.

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