Canada becomes pro-Jerusalem

The Australian ^ | August 8, 2006 | Staff

[WmShirerAdmirer]

MONTREAL: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has led a major change in Canadian foreign policy by fully supporting Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah, diplomats and observers say.

After 13 years of Liberal Party rule in Canada, a minority Conservative Government led by Mr Harper took office in January and closely aligned itself with the US, especially concerning Middle East policy.

The alignment is in sharp contrast to the lead-up to the Iraq war, when then prime minister Jean Chretien fell out with George W.Bush over his strident opposition to the war.

Mr Harper's Government "is voicing for the first time in many many years a clear-cut position toward the Middle East and toward fighting terrorism", said Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Ottawa. "That is definitely welcome by Israel."

Mr Harper has said Israel's military response to the abduction of two of its soldiers and repeated rocket attacks into Israel was "measured", while Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has described Hezbollah as a "cancer".

Canada supports the idea of an immediate ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, as long as the Lebanese Shia militia first return two kidnapped Israeli soldiers unharmed and stop rocket attacks on Israel.

Diplomats from 16 Arab countries that met Mr MacKay in Ottawa last week left with the impression that Canada had abandoned its neutrality.

Hassan al-Suwaidi, the United Arab Emirates representative and dean of the Arab ambassadors in Ottawa, said the diplomats urged Mr MacKay "to encourage humanitarian support, to stop the violence in both side".

At the meeting, some Arab diplomats questioned Canada's neutrality.

Yemeni ambassador Abdulla Nasher said Canada had always been "neutral, balanced, a great peacekeeper".

Maha Hamdy, the Egyptian embassy charge d'affaires, said the diplomats "emphasised that Canada had before a neutral position", but were now seeing "a transformation of the Canadian policy".

Mr MacKay told the diplomats that the policy had not changed, but rather that it was "becoming more mature".

But according to Mr Harper's political opposition, his Government has given a green light to Israel's military operations in Lebanon and abandoned Canada's role as a neutral mediator.

"It is vital for middle-power nations such as Canada to pursue a fair-minded and balanced foreign policy because it preserves our ability to act as an appropriate intermediary, helping to make peace between enemies, rather than simply validating the positions held by any one party," said Liberal Party leader Bill Graham.

[aynrandfreak]

Good, can he get re-elected though?

[jdm]

"Canada becomes pro-Jerusalem"

For, like, what... a day or two?

[NordP]

Baby steps....

I say give 'em credit for making some progress.