Cotler tabling of Grandmothers' Petition

Cotler Tables “Grandmothers’ Petition” for Captive Gilad Shalit

Ottawa, October 27, 2010 – The Honourable Irwin Cotler, MP and Critic for Human Rights, rose in the House of Commons today to table a petition on behalf of the “Grandmothers for Gilad Shalit” – grounded in the foundational principles of international humanitarian law and human rights – and protesting the illegal cross-border abduction of Gilad Shalit during the period of a ceasefire arrangement to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Seeking to draw the House of Commons’ attention to the violations of international humanitarian law, the Grandmothers’ Petition notes that Gilad Shalit has been denied all his most basic human rights including even verifiable proof of life, visitation rights by a relief agency, medical care and basic minimal communication with his family. Shalit has been held incommunicado for more than four (4) years.

Accordingly the Grandmothers’ Petition calls on the Canadian Government, the United Nations and international humanitarian relief agencies such as the Red Cross to:

· uphold the applicable standards of international humanitarian law, including proof of life, visitation rights and communication between him and his family as a bare minimum.
· condition Canadian aid transferred to Gaza on adherence to these basic principles: that the Palestinian Authority commit itself to Shalit’s repatriation and that Canada use its good offices to put an end to these violations of international humanitarian law to secure his release and return him to his family as a matter of fundamental decency and justice.


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For further information, please contact Howard Liebman at the office of the Honourable Irwin Cotler,(514) 283-0171 or Cotlei1@parl.gc.ca.

up date on petition (see petition below)

Dear Friends;

I want to bring you up to date. First, let me thank all who signed the petition especially those who made a special effort to come to my house Monday am. Over the course mainly on Monday we ended up with 56 signatures on our petition.. That document is on its way to Irwin Cotler MP who will table it in Parliament, along with another MP, I'm told. This will not happen until the week of October 25 , because Parliament is off next week (a really tough job there) and Irwin will be in Europe the following week. I will let you know when it comes to pass.

Meanwhile I will check with Howard Liebman, Irwin's assistant, if we should hold off writing our individual letters accompanied by the petition until after it is tabled. I'll let you know what he says.

Now, we are ready for another project. I wonder if one or more of you would undertake arranging a meeting with the Canadian Red Cross, for the purpose of urging that organization to a) find out what the international Red Cross has actually done, and b) to urge the Canadian RC to put pressure on the IRC on behalf of the isolated Gilad Shalit. I' m looking for volunteers for this new undertaking.

All the best, lehitra'ot (I just had a Hebrew lesson),

Sally

Petition to Canadian Parliament

We, the undersigned, are Canadian citizens and grandmothers, who identify ourselves as Grandmothers for Gilad Shalit. We wish to draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to the following:

That the Canadian people have a profound commitment to International Law and are guided by the basic human rights based on general legal principles, as well as specific agreements to which Canada is a party, including the Geneva Convention.

That Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted in Israel and taken into Gaza on June 26, 2006, during a cease-fire arrangement. He was 19 years old. For more than 4 years Gilad Schalit , has been held in complete isolation and has been denied access to any rights afforded to him under International Law. No visitations by individuals, doctors, or the International Red Cross have been permitted by his Palestinian captors.
That Canada announced a contribution of $300 million over five years in support of the peace process and of Palestinian reform and development, is contributing $15 million to the World Bank’s Palestinian Reform and Development Plan Trust Fund, and has already provided more than $400 million for development initiatives in the West Bank and Gaza.
Therefore, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada:

To insist that the Red Cross, the UN and other humanitarian agencies uphold the applicable standards of humanitarian law which would include a proof of life, a visit to the captured soldier, and communication between him and his family, as a bare minimum;
To condition any Canadian aid transferred to Gaza from the Canadian Government on adherence to these basic principles;
To insist that the Palestinian Authority, including all ministers and leadership in the Palestinian Authority, be fully committed to repatriate Gilad Shalit;
To advance in any way, along with Canada’s allies, the process to the release of Gilad Shalit who has been held in captivity for more than four years, in conditions contrary to any standards of International Law held so precious by this country and its citizens.
To use Canada’s good offices in bi-lateral and multi-lateral discussions to put an end to this violation of International Humanitarian Law, and secure Gilad Shalit’s release and return to Israel.