[R-G] Made in Israel Foreign Policy Puts Canadian Lives at Risk
Anthony Fenton
fentona at shaw.ca
Mon Mar 2 10:05:00 MST 2009
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2009/03/made-in-israel-foreign-policy-puts-canadian-lives-at-risk/
Made in Israel Foreign Policy Puts Canadian Lives at Risk
by Bob Gordon / March 2nd, 2009
Speaking at an event sponsored by the United Jewish Appeal Federation
of Greater Toronto to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding
of Israel in May, 2008 Prime Minister Stephen Harper described
Canada’s support for Israel as “unshakable.” Earlier in the day
Harper had told the Canadian Jewish Political Action Committee (CJPAC)
that anti-Israeli sentiment was “really just a thinly disguised veil
for good old fashioned anti-Semitism.” In a statement issued less
than a week later marking the same anniversary the PMO noted that,
“We count ourselves among Israel’s staunchest friends.”
These pronouncements represent an accurate appraisal of the Tory
government’s stance since its election in early 2006. With Canada’s
recent decision to boycott, along with Israel, the planning for the
Durban 2 anti-racism conference Canada has become Israel’s strongest
supporter. Even the United Sates does not have the loyalty from Canada
that Israel does.
This new policy represents a significant departure from Canada’s
historic Middle East policy of following a middle path. In the wake of
the Suez crisis Lester Pearson, then Canada’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs won a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a ceasefire and
organizing the first United Nations peacekeeping mission. Since then
Canadian peacekeepers have served in the Sinai, Lebanon and the Golan
Heights.
Only two month’s after the election of Harper in January 2006
shifting policy winds made themselves apparent. In March 2006, Canada
was the first state, other than Israel, to cut off aid to the
Palestinian Authority after Hamas won the election to the Palestinian
legislature. That summer the Canadian government refused to sign a
resolution that expressed sympathy for the Lebanese civilians caught
up in the Israeli invasion of that country. Harper described the
resolution as “a case of political correctness gone mad.”
Not surprisingly, this seismic shift in Canadian policy has become
evident during the recent Israeli invasion of Gaza. On January 23,
2008, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted on a statement
that expressed concern about Gaza’s civilians as a result of “the
series of incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and
incursions.” Alone on the 47 member Council, Canada voted against the
resolution.
On February 4 the Honourable Lawrence Canon, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and the Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of International
Cooperation issued a statement that blamed Gazans, and their
democratically elected government for the invasion: “Hamas
precipitated the recent crisis by its rocket attacks on Israel.”
The day before the frightening practical implications of this
unconditional support for Israel were made shockingly clear. Eva
Bartlett, a Canadian citizen currently in Gaza reported to the mission
in Tel Aviv that she was “being shot at by Israeli soldiers on the
other side of the border fence.”
Her blogpost of the incident continues, “Jordie Elms, the Canadian
attaché in the Tel Aviv office, informed us that “Israel has
declared the 1 km area along the border to be a ‘closed military
zone’” and added that humanitarian and aid workers need to “know
the risk of being in a closed area”. Meaning, apparently, that it is
OK with Jordie that Israeli soldiers were firing on unarmed
civilians.”
Shocked by this statement I contacted the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade. Middle East spokesperson Rodney Moore
asked that I put my questions into writing. On February 9 I did so
asking for comment on “Canada’s position on the IDF declared ‘no-
go’ zone extending 1 kilometre into Gaza” and “allegations made
by a Canadian international observer, Eva Bartlett” about contacting
the mission while under IDF fire.
Four days later Moore responded with a three-part, diplomatically
worded non-answer:
Canada welcomed the cessation of hostilities between Israel and
Hamas. What is needed now is a permanent, sustainable and durable
ceasefire, as called for in United Nations Security Council 1860, so
that Israel and the Palestinian Authority can return to the peace
process.
The security situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is
very poor and unpredictable due to inter-factional violence and
ongoing military operations.
In its travel advisory to Canadians, Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Canada advises Canadians against all travel to the
region surrounding the Gaza Strip due to the risk of rocket and mortar
launches, gunfire and of ongoing military activity.
His response is remarkable for reasons other than its absolute
irrelevance to the questions that were submitted. It twice states that
risks to civilians and foreign nationals are a result of Palestinian
actions―“inter-factional violence” and “rocket and mortar
launches”–as well as “military operations” and “military
actions.” In the specific circumstances of the Bartlett incident this
is categorically untrue.
It also highlights the emasculation of DFAIT. Under Harper’s
autocratic style, Ministries and their spokespersons have been reduced
to parroting the party line as it is delivered from the PMO and
issuing meaningless, generic statements to the media. In this case the
message is that staunch support” of Israel extends to blaming Hamas
and Israel equally for the recent fury in Gaza even to the extent that
the safety and security of Canadian citizens be damned and disregarded.
Bob Gordon writes from Guelph, Ontario. He can be reached at: bob34g at gmail.com
. Read other articles by Bob.
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