BDS-Quebec Press Release
Montreal, August 26 2019
Hydro-Québec terminates its partnership with Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) and delivers a copy of its secret agreement to John Philpot, a Montreal lawyer and expert in international law.
Press conference:
Thursday, August 29, 2019, 10:30 am
Laurier Professional Center, 5064 Park Avenue, Montréal, QC, H2V 4G1
Information: John Philpot (514) 668-9150
On May 22, 2017, during a « historic economic and institutional mission » in Israel led by former Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, a memorandum of understanding on cybersecurity was signed between the chairman of the board of directors of Hydro-Québec, Michael D. Penner, and IEC’s Senior Information and Communication VP, Yosi Shneck.
IEC, a state-owned company, is partly responsible for the State of Israel’s abuses against the Palestinian population, including through power cuts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and is part of a consortium of public and private agencies that work closely with the army and secret services in the field of cyber-security.
In June 2017, John Philpot was refused a formal request (under Access to Information legislation) by Hydro-Québec to obtain a copy of the agreement.
The BDS-Quebec Coalition implemented a campaign to cancel the HQ-IEC agreement beginning in 2017. Hydro-Québec may have possibly incurred civil and criminal liability because of IEC’s association with the crimes allegedly committed by the State of Israel and, moreover, discredited the Quebec State by signing the agreement.
Having been informed by our Crown corporation that its partnership with IEC has not been renewed, BDS-Québec welcomes this decision.
On August 22, 2019, on the eve of a hearing before the Access to Information Commission, Hydro-Québec submitted a copy of the agreement to Mr. Philpot.
The full text of this two-year agreement, kept confidential since it was signed on May 22, 2017, will be unveiled to reporters at the press conference.
BDS-Québec suggests the creation of a Quebec cyber-security center serving the interests and protecting the private data of the population.
We call on the Canadian and Quebec governments to put an end to all economic and political cooperation with Israel as long as Israel does not comply with international law that condemns the Israel’s illegal occupation, colonization and annexation of the Palestinian territories.
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