[R-G] Canada votes alone for Israel

[Anthony Fenton]

Canada votes alone for Israel
We're the only one of 47 nations on UN rights panel to refuse to  
condemn military offensive in Gaza
January 13, 2009
Bruce Campion-Smith
Les Whittington
OTTAWA BUREAU
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/569872

OTTAWA–Canada stood alone before a United Nations human rights council  
yesterday, the only one among 47 nations to oppose a motion condemning  
the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

The vote before the Geneva-based body shows the Stephen Harper  
government has abandoned a more even-handed approach to the Middle  
East in favour of unalloyed support of Israel, according to some long- 
time observers.

Thirty-three countries voted for the strongly worded motion, which  
called for an investigation into "grave" human rights violations by  
Israeli forces, while 13 nations, mostly European, abstained.

The United States, regarded as Israel's greatest ally, is not a member  
of the council.

Marius Grinius, Canada's representative on the council, said the  
language of the motion, which accused Israel of sparking a  
humanitarian crisis, was "unnecessary, unhelpful and inflammatory."

He said the text failed to "clearly recognize" that Hamas rocket  
attacks on Israel triggered the crisis.

But observers say Ottawa's unwavering support of Israel in the current  
conflict – highlighted by yesterday's vote – is a break from more  
neutral positions of the past.

Paul Heinbecker, a former Canadian ambassador to the UN, said that,  
although Canada was always considered "a friend of Israel," until  
recently Ottawa's representatives at the UN voted on Middle East  
issues on the basis of "principle" and "fair-mindedness."

Of Canada's current approach, he said, "It's not a middle-of-the-road  
position. It is a frankly supportive position of Israel."

He said internationally Canada is increasingly seen as being on the  
American-Israeli side on these issues. But assessing yesterday's vote  
at the UN's human rights council, Heinbecker pointed out "the  
resolution is unbalanced" in its repeated condemnations of Israel.

Along with Arab states, countries backing the resolution included  
Russia, China and Brazil. Among those abstaining were Britain, France,  
Japan and South Korea.

The council itself has faced accusations it is biased against Israel.  
The U.S., arguing the council's credibility has been undermined, has  
declined to be a member.

However, in this conflict, Heinbecker said the Canadian government has  
"not tried itself to introduce a lot of balance into its position" on  
the fighting in Gaza.

"There are now 900-plus (Palestinian) deaths, a large number of whom  
are civilian, who are the predictable victims of a military campaign  
in a densely populated space where the people can't flee because the  
borders are closed," he said. Thirteen Israelis have been killed.

Given Canada's past actions to expand protection of civilians in  
conflict zones, he would have expected Ottawa to put more stress on  
the "urgent" need for a ceasefire and a demand that both sides in Gaza  
respect international protections for non-combatants, Heinbecker said.

Harper made clear his strong support for Israel just months after he  
took office in 2006. That summer, he defended Israel's military  
incursion into Lebanon with a controversial comment that it was a  
"measured" response.

NDP MP Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) criticized Ottawa's "muted" reaction  
to this latest offensive. He said Canada should be taking a "robust"  
role to deliver aid to civilians and monitor any ceasefire.

Instead, he said Canada is sitting on the "sideline," suggesting a pro- 
Israel viewpoint by the Conservative government was the reason for  
lack of outcry from Ottawa.

The Canadian Islamic Congress yesterday called on the federal  
government to act as a peace broker and "lead the world as it used to.

"It's not time that we speak on who is right and who is wrong. I think  
it is time that innocent people in Gaza and Israel be protected,"  
Zijad Delic, the congress's national executive director of the  
congress said.

"I worry that Canada did not take a fair approach," he said.

The government's vote won praise from B'nai Brith Canada, which  
commended Harper for Ottawa's "principled stand."

Frank Dimant, the group's executive vice-president, called the motion  
"perverse" for failing to mention Hamas and its "pivotal" role in  
provoking the conflict.

Last night, the foreign affairs department said Canada had opposed a  
"deeply flawed" resolution.

"The resolution wholly failed to acknowledge Hamas's continual rocket  
attacks on Israel that brought about the current crisis, and ignored a  
state's legitimate right to self-defence," a spokesperson said in an  
email.

"Canada remains deeply concerned about the ongoing hostilities ... and  
encourages all diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate, sustainable  
and durable ceasefire. But first and foremost, Hamas's rocket attacks  
must stop so that a ceasefire can be realized."