CUPW got it wrong: Gaza postal difficulties stem from security issue, not abuse
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Written by Atara Beck
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
TORONTO-TEL-AVIV – The reason Israel is not delivering mail to Gaza is, plain and simple, a security issue, one Israeli spokesperson said.
There has been negative publicity in Canada recently, led by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), regarding Canada Post’s recent announcement that it cannot accept mail destined for Gaza because Israel is not willing to forward it.
According to CUPW’s web site, “numerous organizations are working together to endorse a Canadian boat to Gaza in the autumn. Others, including Independent Jewish Voices, have supported the idea of getting mail onto the boat.”
Denis Lemelin, national president of CUPW, said: “As postal workers, we know very well that cutting off mail creates suffering and hardship for people who are isolated from their loved ones. How many more abuses will the people of Gaza have to endure? We stand in solidarity with all efforts to break the blockade and end the indignities imposed on the Palestinian people by the state of Israel.”
The Vancouver Sun quoted Sara Saber-Freedman of the Canada-Israel Committee, who accused CUPW of acting in a “hasty and…irresponsible” manner, pointing out that the reasons for the suspension of service had not been investigated. “The postal workers’ decision to exploit this is highly suspect,” she said.
The Jewish Tribune contacted Israel Post and received a quick and clear explanation from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT).
Spokesperson Major Guy Inbar said, “Mail transferring between Israel and Gaza requires coordination between the Israel Postal Company and the Palestinian Postal Authority, which is in Ramallah.
“The mail transferring is delayed these days due to the fact that the Palestinian Postal Authority has not yet appointed a replacement for the chief of mail transferring in the Palestinian Authority, who was arrested by the Israeli security forces, despite calls from Israel towards the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the Palestinian Authority and the chief executive officer of the Palestinian Communications Ministry, to appoint a new representative.
“With the appointment of a new representative on the Palestinian side, the mechanism of the coordination of mail transferring will be active again.”
Inbar told the Jewish Tribune in a follow-up communication that the reason for the arrest was directly related to security and therefore he could not elaborate at this time.
The Vancouver Sun, discussing the suspension of mail delivery, cited a UN report that as many as 68 per cent of the Gaza residents lack adequate access to food. According to Israeli National News, WAFA-Palestine News Agency reported that since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, which began last week, the markets in Gaza have been full of goods. “It appears that in honour of Ramadan, the markets in Gaza are bustling with cheaply priced goods, yet buyers are sparse because of rampant unemployment in Hamas-run Gaza,” the INN report said.
