------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Wed, 2 Dec 1998 16:06:38 +0200
Subject:       For moderation - Protest: Israel, a symbol of ethnic diversity?
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To:            [log in to unmask]

ISRAEL: A SYMOBL OF IMMIGRATION AND RACIAL DIVERSITY?
Third International Metropolis Conference

For immediate release, 2 December 1998
Badil Resource Center
________________________________________________________________________
This week, November 30 - December 3, Israel is hosting the Third International 
Metropolis Conference in Zichron Yaacov, a conference whose intent is to 
evaluate and improve policies of immigration, integration, and ethno-diversity. 
 The conference is sponsored by the International Metropolis Project, a set of 
co-ordinated activities carried out by twenty partner countries, including 
Canada (the chair of multi-lateral refugee working group in the Middle East 
peace negotiations), and six international organizations including UNESCO and 
the European Commission.  However, as each country and organization shares its 
knowledge and experience with urban immigration and ethno-diversity, the record 
of Israel in this area makes a mockery of a potentially very important 
initiative.

Israel, despite how it may be promoting itself at the conference, continues to 
maintain the unfeasibility of integrating the Palestinian refugees into Israel 
proper, despite the fact that Jewish immigrants from around the world continue 
to occupy lands and cities from which Palestinian refugees were displaced.  The 
irony of Israel hosting a conference on immigration and ethno-diversity is 
deafening when told to the millions of Palestinian refugees waiting along 
Israel's borders.  Israel is guilty of evicting the indigenous population in 
1948 and, the Zionist state continues these policies today.

Currently in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel is busy cleansing the city of its 
indigenous populations through a myriad of finely tuned bureaucratic strategies. 
 While the Israeli government may be a favored symbol of immigration for those 
coming from such far off regions as Russia and Ethiopia, Israel's policies of 
home demolition, land confiscation, settlement expansion, and ID card 
confiscation are implimented to illiminate Palestinian presence in the occupied 
city.

Israel appears to be using the conference to promote and improve its image 
abroad, but, while Israel may be able to do so in the comfort of the meeting 
halls, the reality of its policy and practices concerning Palestinians is 
condemning.  The international community must not ignore Israel's current 
bureaucratic policies of eviction nor forget about the eviction of refugees for 
which Israel is responsible.

BADIL calls upon partners, individuals and organizations concerned about 
Palestinian residency and refugee rights to remind conference organizers and 
participants of Israel's long record of human rights violations against the 
indigenous Palestinian population by sending this (or a similar message) to: 

Howard Duncan, International Project Director/Metropolis Project, Citizenship 
and Immigration Canada, 
email: [log in to unmask]

You may find out about your country's participation, as well as details about 
the conference and its organizers at: 
http://international.metropolis.globalx.net



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