Bil'in village (West Bank) has commenced legal proceedings against two Canadians companies

international | community struggles | press release Thursday July 10, 2008 08:16 by Bil'in village contact at bilin-village dot org

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.

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
Law Office
49 Ahad Ha’am Street,
Tel-Aviv – Jaffa, 65206
Israel
Tel: +972-3-6206947
Cell: +972-54-4713930
michael@jurists.co.il
Israeli Counsel to Bil’in

Mark H. Arnold – Barrister and Solicitor
Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP
1202 – 390 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario, M5H2Y2
Canada
Tel: + 416 393-2614 Ext. 231
Cell: + 416-705-3055
mark.arnold@gmalaw.ca
Canadian Counsel to Bil’in