Friday, August 15, 2014

"CUPE Offers Humanitarian Support to the People of Gaza"

Of course it does. And of course the union is gravely concerned about the conflict resulting in not nearly enough dead Jews:
CUPE sent a letter on July 16 to the Canadian government voicing concern about the escalation of violence and rising death toll in Gaza. At that time, 200 people in Gaza and one person in Israel had been killed and we requested that the Canadian government demonstrate genuine support and recognition of human rights and international humanitarian law as a principle underlying demands for a ceasefire. 
The world has since watched in horror as the death toll rose to nearly 1,900 in Palestine, most of whom are civilians and 67 in Israel, all but three of whom are soldiers. Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the UN, stated this week that “the massive deaths and destruction in Gaza have shocked and shamed the world.” Through their refusal to recognize the unjust and disproportionate violence inflicted on the people of Gaza by Israel, the Canadian government has demonstrated little concern for human rights and international law.
CUPE, on the other hand, is immensely concerned--though not necessarily about the truth:
CUPE’s contribution of humanitarian aid is provided with the critical understanding that peace in the region cannot be achieved unless there is an end to all aggression on both sides, an end to the blockade against Gaza and an end to the illegal occupations of the Palestinian territories by Israel.  
To deal with the last part first: there is no illegal occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel. Second, an end to the blockade would almost certainly result in the importation of more missiles to aim and fire at Israeli civilians (who, oddly enough, don't merit a mention in this CUPE communique) and the construction of new underground tunnels. And finally, what Israel is doing is defensive; what Hamas is doing is waging jihad. And what the usefully idiotic CUPE is doing is pretending to be even-handed even as it favours one side--the side engaged in a holy war--over the other.

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