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As part of the great debate currently taking place in Canada’s Green movement on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel’s occupation, denouncing the  illegal treatment of the Palestinian People, the Provincial Council of the Green Party of Québec formally expresses its support for the BDS movement.

This international campaign has called for various economic, academic, cultural and political pressures on Israel in order to achieve the following objectives: full equality for the Israeli-Palestinians; the end of Israel’s occupation and colonization of the occupied Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip and the dismantling of the apartheid wall of separation by Israel.

At the Congress of the Green Party of Canada, held in August 2016, the members of the federal party voted their support for a resolution on the BDS, followed by the federal leader Elizabeth May threatening to resign if the vote were not reversed as soon as possible. Due to this blackmail, the Green Party of Canada is holding an extraordinary congress in Calgary this December to review the party’s position on this very important issue. The PVQ recognizes the legitimacy of the BDS and encourages members of the Green Party of Canada not to change their position on this policy.

Alex Tyrrell is the only leader of the provincial Green parties to indicate his support for the BDS movement. He also attended several information sessions to explain the merits of this policy to members of the Green Party of Canada with Dimitri Lascaris who introduced the resolution, the former member of the shadow cabinet of Ms. May .

« The Green Party of Quebec is a progressive party that will never hesitate to denounce the war crimes, the murder of children or other violations of fundamental rights. BDS is a nonviolent tactic that aims at restricting the military actions of the State of Israel », affirms Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec.

Dr. Abraham Weizfeld UQAM Ph.D., Executive Council member of the PVQ and author of the resolution on the BDS said, « I am pleased that the Green Party of Quebec has assumed such a position of great importance concerning all those wishing to see peace emerge one day. The Jewish communities of Montréal and Québec are open to the proposition that their identity not be associated with the present government of Israel, which debases the reputation of the Jewish people. « 

For his part, Lascaris added “This is a bold and principled stand for human rights by the Green Party of Québec and I commend them for this policy. On behalf of the thousands of members of the Green Party of Canada that support BDS I thank the Québec Greens for leading the way for the eight other provincial Green Parties in Canada who have yet to adopt positions in favour of BDS. « 

The Green Party of Quebec wishes to clarify that it opposes the encouragement of the use of violence by any person or entity and all forms of racism and discrimination. The party opposes Antisemitism,  anti-Jewish connotations, stereotypes or misrepresentations in the party program or amongst the members.

 

 

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