Palestinian village sends pair to sue Quebec companies
Town alleges firms broke law by building Israeli settlements
Last Updated: Friday, June 5, 2009 | 9:47 AM ET
CBC News
Related
Two representatives of a small West Bank Palestinian village will tour Canada this month, as they prepare a lawsuit against two Quebec-based companies for allegedly violating international law by building Israeli settlements on occupied territory.
Mohammed Khatib is a member of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in the town of Bil'in, west of Ramallah. He will hold a news conference on June 4 at Quebec Superior Court, along with Israeli lawyer Emily Schaeffer, who represents Bil'in.
The town's claim was filed July 9 against sister companies Green Park International and Green Mount International. It also asks the Quebec Superior Court for an injunction to stop further construction and demolish apartment buildings already erected in Moddin Illit, a Jewish settlement northwest of Ramallah.
Bil'in alleges both companies committed war crimes by building housing in the settlement, Israel's largest in the West Bank. The lawsuit also names Annette Laroche, who is named as the director of both companies.
She could not be reached for comment.
A Montreal lawyer for the companies, Ronald Levy, told CBC News the lawsuit is totally inappropriate, and this case falls outside of Canadian legal jurisdiction. On June 22, he said, he'll demand the Quebec Superior Court dismiss the lawsuit.
The apartment buildings are built on land that was part of a Palestinian village until Israel seized the West Bank from Jordanian control in the Six-Day War in 1967.
The village is home to about 1,700 people.
In the lawsuit, the village's municipal council and chief Ahmed Issa Abdallah Yassin allege Green Park and Green Mount acted as "agents of Israel" by building the housing.
The lawsuit asks the court to rule whether the construction violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which deals with the protection of civilians in times of war and occupation; Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act; the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms; and the Civil Code of Quebec.
The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids an occupying power from transferring its own civilians into occupied territory.
In a news release Tuesday, Lynn Worrell, a spokeswoman for the town of Bil'in, said preliminary court proceedings are scheduled to be held in Montreal June 22.
Share Tools
Latest Montreal News Headlines
- Quebec students ready for tuition hike, says one leader
- The president of Quebec's College Student Federation (FECQ), Leo Bureau-Blouin, tells CBC Radio's The House that students "are ready for a compromise on the amount of a tuition hike," as the Quebec government and the province's student associations prepare to resume talks. more »
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged and windows shattered as severe thunderstorms, and a tornado rattled through southwestern Quebec Friday night. more »
- Champlain Bridge road work blitz this weekend
- Transport Quebec is advising drivers to avoid the Champlain Bridge corridor this weekend as a blitz of major road work closes down some lanes. more »
- IOC's Jacques Rogge encourages Olympic bids for Quebec City, Toronto
- International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge believes there is an opportunity for either Quebec City or Toronto to host a future Olympic Games. more »
- Casserole pan-demonium in Quebec
- Residents take to the streets with pots and pans to protest Bill 78. more »
Top News Headlines
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
- 32 Syrian children die in artillery attack, says UN
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming at least 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of six climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- 32nd night protest in Montreal
- Quebec students challenge Bill 78 in court
- Mysterious photos may shed light on 2004 Quebec homicide
- Quebec faces mounting pressure amid student crisis
- Ottawa man in hospital after lightning strike
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Son testifies on behalf of father accused of killing wife
- Bookies set odds on Quebec student protest
