VANCOUVER, Canada (JTA) — The Canadian government called on the country’s postal workers union to apologize for using its monthly newsletter to attack Israel.
Canada "plays a key part in perpetuating war crimes" by Israel, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ March newsletter read, according to the Toronto Sun.
"Canada is allowing Israel to terrorize occupied people, breach international law, normalize home demolitions, build prison-style walls and checkpoints, and steal resources," the newsletter continued.
Steven Fletcher, the government minister responsible for the postal service, criticized the union’s statements.
"CUPW should apologize for this misuse of public funds and its anti-Israeli rhetoric," he said.
The union acknowledged that it used union dues to send letter carrier and activist Ruth Breen to protest in the West Bank last year, according to the Sun. However, also last year, the union refused to pay for members to attend a Free Palestine conference in Brazil, the Canada Post reported.
The postal workers’ union, known for a history of activism outside of labor causes, was the first Canadian union to call for a boycott of Israel when it did so in 2008. The union has 54,000 members.
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