Stop the race
Don’t collaborate with Israeli APARTHEID
PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH UNITY (PAJU)
AGAINST THE PARTICIPATION OF ISRAEL PREMIER TECH IN THE GRAND PRIX CYCLISTE DE MONTRÉAL ET QUÉBEC
NO TO THE PROMOTION OF ISRAELI APARTHEID AT THE GRAND PRIX CYCLISTE DE MONTRÉAL
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU) invites you to join the Quebec and Canadian campaign to exclude Israel Premier Tech, self-proclaimed ambassador of Israel, from the Grand Prix Cycliste Montréal and Québec
Québec : September 9 2022
Montréal : September 11 2022
According to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tslem and the former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, Israel is an Apartheid state. Apartheid is an international crime against humanity.
In the occupied territories and Gaza:
- Over 800,000 Israeli settlers, encouraged by the government of Israel, have seized Palestinian land.
- The settlers take 80% of Palestinian water.
- The settlers have freedom of movement in Palestine. Palestinians face omnipresent Israeli checkpoints where violence is often deadly.
- The Israeli army brutally represses Palestinians and imprisons thousands of political prisoners.
Even in Israel :
- Over 93% of the land is reserved for Jewish Israeli citizens. Palestinian Christian and Muslim Israeli citizens (25% of the population) have to share the rest.
- Palestinians cannot bring their wives or husbands to Israel. Every Jew who arrives in Israel becomes a citizen while Palestinians who were forced to flee have no right to return to their homes.
- Jewish communities have the legal right to exclude Palestinians.
- Education is separate and unequal. Israel spends 3 times more for Jewish schools
Alaa al-Dali, a 22-year-old Palestinian competitive cyclist, lost his right leg after an Israeli soldier in Gaza shot him with a “dum-dum” bullet, illegal under international law. Israel denied him the authorization to travel for necessary health care.
Facing such serious crimes, silence means approval. The argument that we should not mix politics and sports is false. Government financing of sports is clearly political when a participant has the aim of promoting Israeli Apartheid.
The Union Cycliste International (UCI) has banned Russian and Belarus teams from its international calendar including the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec. Most Russian and Belarus athletes have not taken a position on the war in Ukraine.
The Israel Premier Tech (Israel Start-up Nation) has proclaimed itself an ambassador of Israel to the world and requires that all its racers also be ambassadors for Israel. The Grand Prix must not be used to promote Israeli Apartheid.
Our letter to Mme Valérie Plante Mairesse de Montréal
Madame la Mairesse,
Le Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 2022 aura lieu le 11 septembre prochain. La Ville de Montréal est un partenaire public de cet événement sportif de portée internationale. La Ville assume donc une part importante de responsabilité éthique dans la promotion de cette compétition prestigieuse de haut calibre.
PAJU (Palestiniens et juifs unis) est maintenant dans sa 22e année d’existence. En tant qu’organisation de solidarité avec le peuple palestinien et défenseur des droits de la personne, notre lettre est porteuse d’une demande et d’une seule : votre intervention pour le retrait de l’équipe de cyclisme Israël-Premier Tech de la compétition.
L’équipe israélienne, d’abord appelée Israël Cycling Academy (ICA)1, devenue désormais, l’Israël Start-Up Nation (ISN), et finalement renommée Israël-Premier Tech a déjà fait l’objet d’une campagne de sensibilisation de la part de la Coalition BDS-Québec. Cette dernière vous a adressé une lettre à ce sujet en date du 20 juillet 2020. L’Équipe Israël-Premier Tech est différente des autres équipes. Elle est l’ambassadrice d’Israël dans le monde et compte sur ses coureurs pour jouer ce rôle.2
Le 12 janvier 2021, l’organisation israélienne des droits de la personne, B’Tselem a publié un rapport détaillé désignant Israël étant un État d’apartheid (A Regime of Jewish Supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea).3
……
Canadian company Premier Tech sponsors the Israeli cycling team changing the team’s name to Israel – Premier Tech
After the dismal performance of Israel Premier Tech at the Montréal Grand Prix cycliste, we found Sylvan Adams wandering the streets in dismay pondering the existential question whether Israeli Apartheid will follow suite… in loosing… The truth is that Palestine will win! Racist apartheid supporters like Adams can run. But they can’t hide! La Palestine vivra. La Palestine vaincra!!
This campaign is endorsed by :
Centre communautaire des femmes sud-asiatiques
South Asian Women’s Community Centre
We need your help
We ask you to :
- Join the campaign to encourage the organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal and the city of Montreal to reject the participation of Israel Premier Tech in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec,
- To encourage your members and friends to participate in the campaign.
- If the organizing committee and the city of Montreal allow Israel Premier Tech to take part in the race, we ask you to join our non-violent activities to stop the normal functioning of the race.