Hague High Court concluded that three parts of the apartheid wall are illegal--according to international law

On Wednesday, July 9th, villagers from Nilin emerged from a four-day house arrest, to
commemorate the fourth anniversary of the day the Hague High Court concluded that three parts
of the apartheid wall are illegal--according to international law--and must be re-routed.
Israel, however, has changed nothing. About 120 strong, the delegation included a number of
popular committees from the west Ramallah area, Israeli activists, internationals, and
Moheep Awwad of the Palestinian cabinet.

At 11am, the group advanced to the construction site and surrounded
the bulldozer. Clashes broke out and Israeli soldiers assaulted the crowd with tear-gas
and rubber-coated steel bullets. Two of the protesters, Mahmoud Khawaja and Salah Tayeh
Alkhawaja, were injured; and five were arrested, among them Hassan Yousef, Ahmed Wehebba,
and Wesam Wahebba.

There will be another demonstration tomorrow, Thursday July 10th, at 11am. For more
information call Ibrahim Amira at 054-7493831.
http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=1

http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=128

PRESS RELEASE

(TO ALL MEDIA)

July 8, 2008

The Village of Bil’in, in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories, announced today that it has commenced legal proceedings in Canada against two Canadian Companies for committing war crimes. The case has been filed in the Quebec Superior Court sitting at Montreal, Canada. A full copy of the claim is attached.

Bil’in alleges that Green Park International Inc. and Green Mount International Inc., both registered corporations in the Province of Quebec, acting as agents for Israel, are illegally constructing residential and other buildings on lands under the municipal jurisdiction of the Village and are marketing and selling condominium units to the civilian population of the State of Israel. Bil’in further alleges in its claim that its land and the defendants are subject to the rules and obligations of international law because the West Bank is occupied territory arising from an act of war that took place in 1967.

Bil’in claims that Green Park International Inc. and Green Mount International Inc. have violated international law and Canadian domestic law. Bil’in claims protection under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Those statutes both prohibit an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into territory that it has occupied as a result of war. Bil’in also relies on the Canadian Geneva Conventions Act and the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act which contain the same prohibition. These statutes have jurisdiction over Canadians regardless of where in the world the offence has taken place.

Bil’in is seeking an immediate Order from the Canadian court stopping the illegal construction, punitive damages and other relief as set out in the claim. Upon obtaining such an Order in Canada, Bil’in intends to petition the Israeli Court to enforce the Canadian Court Order in Israel and the West Bank.

A Quebec Registry search has revealed that the Green Park companies have appointed a single director who resides in the Montreal Region. It is believed that this director is likely a nominal director having no direct involvement with Green Park and at this time Bil'in has no direct evidence implicating or linking this director personally to any of the civil wrongs set out in the claim.

The legal claims of Bil’in are not related in any way to the business or undertakings of Greenpark International Inc., “Canada’s Largest Homebuilder”, located at 8700 Dufferin Street, Vaughan, Ontario or its affiliated companies.

The Village of Bil’in will be holding a Press Conference in Ramallah on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 1:00 PM (Local Time) and at 10:00 AM (EST) at the offices of its Canadian legal counsel in Toronto, Canada. All media are invited to attend.

To obtain background information on Bil’in please visit www.bilin-village.org/english.

Michael Sfard – Attorney Mark H. Arnold – Barrister and Solicitor

Law Office Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP

49 Ahad Ha’am Street, 1202 – 390 Bay Street

Tel-Aviv – Jaffa, 65206 Toronto, Ontario, M5H2Y2

Israel Canada

Tel: +972-3-6206947 Tel: + 416 393-2614 Ext. 231

Cell: +972-54-4713930 Cell: + 416-705-3055

michael@jurists.co.ii mark.arnold@gmalaw.ca

Israeli Counsel to Bil’in Canadian Counsel to Bil’in

Thank you for you continued support,

Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Commitee in Bilin
Head of Friends of Freedom and Justice in Bilin

Email- ffj.bilin@yahoo.com
Mobile- (00972) (0) 547847942
Office- (00972) (2) 2489129
Fax- (00972) (2) 2489129

www.bilin-ffj.org