Canadians for Palestine: Letter to the City of Ottawa Regarding Israeli Flag Raising

This letter will be sent to Mayor Sutcliffe and Ottawa City Councillors on May 10th to demand that they cancel the scheduled Israeli flag raising on May 14th.

Sign your name to urgently tell Ottawa's politicians that you oppose this celebration of ethnic cleansing at City Hall.

Read the letter below:

Dear Mayor Sutcliffe and City Councillors,

I am writing to express my profound dismay regarding the City of Ottawa's decision to raise the Israeli flag at City Hall on May 14th, particularly in light of the ongoing genocide committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza.

The City's statement fails to acknowledge the 35,000 civilians killed, 75,000 civilians injured and the displacement of 80% of the population in Gaza by the Israeli regime. By ignoring the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime, the City's decision implicitly condones and normalizes grave human rights violations. Furthermore, the blanket mischaracterization by the City and its law enforcement that Pro-Palestinian community members pose "a substantial risk to public safety" is deeply troubling. This discriminatory assessment not only vilifies the anti-genocide protesters but also stifles freedom of expression.

Furthermore, it's important to recognize that Israeli independence was achieved at the expense of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe). On May 14th, 1948, as Israel declared independence, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes, leading to one of the largest and longest-standing refugee crises in modern history. The Palestinian Nakba represents a day of immense loss, trauma, and dispossession for the Palestinian people, and raising the Israeli flag without acknowledging this historical context is deeply insensitive and disrespectful.

As Canadians, we expect our leaders to uphold human rights, foster dialogue, and promote solidarity with oppressed communities. Raising the Israeli flag sends a message of indifference to the suffering of Palestinians and undermines the City's commitment to justice and equality.

I urge the immediate cancellation of the flag-raising event and the retraction of the City's statement. Additionally, I call for mandatory training on anti-Palestinian racism within City institutions to prevent such harmful mischaracterizations in the future.

To sign the letter online, click here