Al-Qalam 
[Photo Source: Canadian Dimension]
By Al Qalam Reporter
The Palestinian solidarity movement in South Africa has praised the efforts of activists in Canada who brought a private prosecution against an Israeli recruitment group who were found to be enlisting Canadians to fight in the Israeli army.
In a statement issued by the Media Review Network and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), it commended their “counterparts in Canada in bringing apartheid Israel and its complicit institutions one step closer to accountability and justice for Palestinians.”
“Apartheid Israel is sustained by the institutions and its networks which aid and abet the infliction of terrorism and war crimes on the Palestinian people in contravention of South Africa’s ratification of the Rome Statute.”
“Regional peace and political stability in the Middle East will only be restored when the IDF is curtailed in its unlawful perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The IDF’s recruitment process must be bridled through efforts of ensuring that institutions and citizens or nationals of other countries are held accountable through universal jurisdiction and the valiant efforts of lawfare advocacy underway in Canada and South Africa.
“In February, this year the Principal Complainant Safoudien Bester, a Cape Town paramedic and also amongst the complainants the Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cape Town and Media Review Network lodged a substantive criminal complaint with South African investigative and prosecutorial authorities. This criminal complaint laid the basis of criminal charges levelled against South African nationals and citizens including Zionist institutions for violation of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.”
“The extensive charges in the South African Zionist Terrorism Corridor probe are currently under investigation. This case has been given a major boost by the lawfare advocacy efforts undertaken in Canada whereby a private prosecution process is now underway to hold SAR-EL Canada accountable for unlawful recruitment activities in violation of Canada’s Foreign Enlistment Act – FEA. The FEA bars the armed forces of any nation state from recruiting soldiers within the borders of Canada.
After the federal government and Toronto Police failed to investigate evidence detailing Sar-El Canada’s violation of the Foreign Enlistment Act, a private prosecution was instigated by Rehab Nazzal and Rabbi David Mivasair. Recently a justice of the peace considered the evidence and determined the case deserved to be heard, compelling Sar-El to defend themselves in court.”
The court accepted a private prosecution launched against Sar-El Canada for its role in recruiting and/or inducing Canadians to assist the Israeli military. “The value of Sar-El to the IDF,” is its volunteers take on “routine logistical support tasks normally assigned to active-duty soldiers and reservists.”
Working under the direction of Israeli soldiers, Sar-El volunteers usually spend three weeks assisting in maintaining bases, painting helmets and packing food rations. They also service firearms and stock tanks with ammunition and other supplies.
Sar-El Canada is the Canadian branch of Tel Aviv based Sar-El (National Project for Volunteers for Israel). The Israeli Defence Ministry promotes the group as a way of “volunteering for the IDF without becoming an Israeli citizen” and one program participant describes the work as happening “alongside or under the direction of Israeli soldiers.”
