Jews Say Good-Bye To The Liberal Party (Canadian Jews Discover Pro-Israel Tories Alert)

Worldnetdaily.com ^ | 10/14/06 | Ted Byfield

[goldstategop]

One of the most significant phenomena in current Canadian politics – i.e. the growing shift of Canada's Jewish community from the Liberal to the Conservative Party – took a major stride last week when the top contender for the Liberal leadership accused Israel of committing a war crime.

Michael Ignatieff, a longtime Harvard authority on human rights and international law who came back to Canada two years ago to seek the Liberal leadership, seemed to stumble into the accusation.

In an interview with the Toronto Star last August, he was asked about the Israeli bombing of the Lebanese town of Qana during the Israel-Lebanon war. He replied that it was a "dirty war," and he wasn't "losing sleep" over Qana. But when this remark was condemned in Quebec as heartless, Ignatieff backtracked, saying he had erred in making it. Asked last Sunday on Quebec's top-rated talk show for further explanation, he landed himself in hotter water:

(Column continues below)

"I demonstrated a lack of compassion. It was a mistake. And when you make a mistake like that you have to admit it. And I admit it because I was a human rights professor, and I'm a professor of the laws of war, and what happened at Qana was a war crime."

With that, the roof fell in. Susan Kadis, a Toronto-area MP and co-chairman of his leadership campaign, resigned: "Michael is an intelligent person and I would think that he would have a better handle on the Middle East, given his years of experience on human rights and international law. I find his comments very troubling, since the Israeli response came in the light of the unprovoked brazen kidnapping by Hezbollah of Israeli soldiers."

The Canada-Israel Committee expressed "profound concern" and demanded "clarification." If clarification was not forthcoming, they added, they "would feel obliged to convey that message to our constituency."

Ignatieff hastened to provide a somewhat confusing explanation. He described himself as "a lifelong friend of Israel," and went on to say that "war crimes were committed in the war in Lebanon. I don't think there's any question about it, and war crimes were visited on Israeli citizens and on Lebanese citizens." His conclusion: "We've got to be determined, as Canadians, to do whatever we can to make sure that military solutions are not sought in this conflict, because the consequences are more civilian deaths."

This did not satisfy the Canada-Israel Committee, and the Israeli ambassador to Canada called the statement "upsetting and disappointing." Bob Rae, Ignatieff's leading opponent for the leadership, commented that it was "not wise" for him "to rush into such judgments."

But this was not the first time leaders in the Canadian Jewish community have jumped into the leadership campaign. Heather Reisman, boss of Indigo Books and chairwoman of the Liberal Party's national policy committee in the 1980s, announced in August that she was leaving the party to support Stephen Harper and the Tories.

Her announcement followed a similar statement by film producer Robert Lantos that he was taking off his "lifelong Liberal hat." Ms. Reisman e-mailed a friend: "I'm right there alongside Robert. After a lifetime of being a Liberal, I have made the switch. It feels strange, but it is totally and unequivocally right."

Her husband, Gerry Schwartz, head of the giant Onex Corporation, another senior Liberal and a confidant of ex-Prime Minister Paul Martin, followed the same path. He and his wife's were among eight signatories to an ad in a Cornwall, Ontario, newspaper warmly supporting the Tories.

Also in August, another senior Liberal, Sen. Gerry Grafstein, publicly criticized Liberal House leader Bill Graham for his attack on Tory Prime Minister Stephen Harper over Harper's outspoken pro-Israel policy. Harper has reversed Canada's 50-year record as a neutral "broker" in the Middle East, said Graham. But neutrality on Israel is not Canada's historical record, Grafstein tartly commented.

This exodus of Jews from the Liberal Party is an historic switch. All through the 20th century the dominant Liberals could count on strong Jewish support. While there were certainly some Jewish Conservatives, the community as whole tended leftward, as did Canadian academe. Within the last decade, however, Canada's socialists have increasingly opposed Israel, much to the consternation of their long-time Jewish allies.

Meanwhile, it was not immediately apparent how seriously the Ignatieff incident might damage his leadership prospects at the convention in early December. A delegate count earlier this month gave him 30 percent of the committed convention delegates and Rae 20 percent, with the other six candidates ranging from 1 percent to 17 percent.

[goldstategop]

Canada's Jews have long identified with the Liberals. Yet they are switching to the pro-Israel Tories, driven both by the rise of anti-Israeli animosity on the Left and the Liberals' abandonment of Canada's support for Israel. Its interesting in light of American Jews' continued support for the Democrats in the United States despite the moonbats' base support both for Al Qaeda terrorists' rights and indicting Israel for alleged war crimes. Canadian Jews are finding a new political home in the Great White North.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[CountryBumpkin]

This is something I have never quite figured out. As long as I can remember, liberal politicians tend to lean heavily towards outspoken anti-Semitism while the conservative counterparts tend to be pro-Israel. Yet Jewish communities tend to vote liberal. What gives?

[goldstategop]

History, idealism and the Jewish quest to repair the world have tugged Jews leftwards for over two centuries. As a trend, its hurt rather than helped the Jews. Today, its become downright deadly to their continued survival rather than just being a harmless pasttime.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Albion Wilde]

Dollings, it should only happen here!

[Nathan Zachary]

I could never figure out the Jewish tendencies towards Socialism/Communism either, especially since it has caused them nothing but grief in Europe and Russia. Regardless, this rizing anti-Jew/Israel speak coming out of liberals and further left is driving them to the right, which is good.

[spikeytx86]

As far as domestic and economic policy goes as a whole, the majority of the Jewish community tends to favor a liberal if not social democratic approach to the issues (this is also reflected in Israel in which out side of it's foreign policy looks no different then Europe as far as domestic and economic policy goes). However one would think survival of ones own people would trump what a parties stance on taxation and welfare is. My only conclusion is they are scared into voting Democratic by an incessant noise machine painting anything to the right of Ned Lamont as a fascist.

[Nathan Zachary]

Plus there have been a few attacks by muzzies on Jewish schools, synagoges and libraries in canada, as well as trouble from muzzies in Montreal's collages. It's no secret the liberals court the Muslims for votes as well. Maybe people are finally starting to wake up.

One thing seems certain, no matter who the liberals get as leader, they will have a lousy one who will not be able to win against harper. he's a sharp guy, and a good speaker.

[West Coast Conservative]

I don't think the article mentions it, but Irwin Cotler's wife has quit the Liberal Party because of this:

The wife of prominent Liberal MP Irwin Cotler has quit the party in a fury over leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff's assertion that Israel committed war crimes.

In a letter to the editor in Friday's National Post, Ariela Cotler says she decided to give up her membership because of Ignatieff's accusation that last summer's bombing of a Lebanese village was a "war crime."

She accuses Ignatieff of lacking moral integrity and of sacrificing the truth for political gain in the leadership race.

Cotler, a former justice minister and prominent member of Montreal's Jewish community, is supporting former Ontario NDP premier Bob Rae's bid to lead the federal Liberals.

LINK

[CountryBumpkin]

Great info. Thanks. One of my observations of history is that extremists on the left are just as likely to become fascists as those on the right. Eventually, extremists on both sides see eye to eye. Does the Jewish community in general not see this.

[American in Singapore]

More good news from the Great White North. Since Harper came in, it all has been good.

[Neophyte]

liberal politicians tend to lean heavily towards outspoken anti-Semitism... Yet Jewish communities tend to vote liberal

Staying with the Left for several generations makes some Jews more Left than Jewish. They sincerely "condemn" Israelis for lack of compassion for poor Palis and for establishing the Jewish state on the "stolen" lands. They cannot see any historical, religious or legal justification for the return of Jews to the Middle East (especially when there are California and NYC...).

So how do you want them to vote?

Of course they'll tell you they were not antisemitic, but that's how every anti-Semite begins his tirade, too.

[Northern Alliance]

This is something I have never quite figured out. As long as I can remember, liberal politicians tend to lean heavily towards outspoken anti-Semitism while the conservative counterparts tend to be pro-Israel. Yet Jewish communities tend to vote liberal. What gives?

Five part essay, but summarized here: Why are so many Jews liberal

[Zhang Fei]

Not real surprising. The rate at which Canada is importing foreigners hostile to Jewish interests, I expect the Jewish vote to matter less and less with each successive election. Think of how many Muslims head to Canada from all over the world. Then think about how many Jews head there. No contest. Note that other foreigners heading into Canada have been propagandized by their home governments and the global media into thinking of the Jewish state as Nazi Germany and the Huns rolled into one. Over time, I expect Canada to swing decisively against Israel. Ironically, the very mass immigration policies championed by liberal Jews in the West may lead to the increasing isolation of the Jewish state.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Many Jews suffer from the socialist malaise of the "Other." The "Other" is non other than a malignant fiction designed to acerbate the (Jewish) psyche by the over production of guilt. "The Other" has more reality than unreality to socialist Jews; it is not evil – the Jews are evil – they are more evil than their own mother-in-laws or Russian Cossacks or the Arabs and, therefore, in an act of almost selfless, Christ-like atonement, the "Other" has to be embraced.

[hnj_00]

let's hope it happens here!!!!!

[dfwgator]

Hopefully this is the end of Trudeau-ism in Canada once and for all.

[Mia T]

Comedy director David Zucker goes to GOP? You can't be serious!
[Nu, so what took you so long?]

[spikeytx86]

Some do, but most just fall into group think and follow the mantra of Right Wing = Hitler, Left Wing = FDR. It's not true but it has been said loud enough and long enough that it has been accepted as truth.

Fascism has always been associated with the right wing of political ideology when really it is a Thirdway approach. As many Ultra Nationalists, Corporatist, Theocrats, and Racists see Fascism as a great alternative do to it's calling for a Strong Nation State that co-opts corporatism and or a Religion, Race, or Nationalism as it's rallying cry and core of governance and policy, Many on the Left though they call it something else promote Fascism as well. The New Deal liberal Order that prevailed in America from the fifties to the late seventies which saw Big Labor, Big Business, and Big Government as the three pillars of American Society and Governance was very much to a great degree Fascist with the government and policy being ran by a few elites from the "Three Pilars" and rampant croniesm and protective regulations and punitive taxes to protect there industries and special interest groups from there perceived enemies and emerging start up companies, not to mention rampant racism through much of the period promoted by the governing party (The Democrats) at the time with a wink and a nod and the political marginalization if not outright intimidation of there opponents by labeling them as 'Fascists', 'Fear-mongers', 'Nazis', 'Warmongers', 'Neo McCarthy's' etc. and shouting down the opposition at campaign rallies and events and in some cases outright election fraud and rigged elections (see 1960 election). This period of New Deal Fascism used the State as it's rallying cry and "ever present enemies of the working man and middle class and oddly enough the New Dealers would even through in the red menace" were there tools of fear to keep the masses in line. I know most people on the right like to call this era a period of "encroaching socialism" but to me it reeks of outright Fascism. And let the Jewish community still overwhelmingly holds to what remains of the old "New Deal" wing of the democratic party, when the torch bearers of the new deal like Truman, Johnson, and Nixon and many more were anti-semites. I know some will disagree with my take on the period, all I can say this is my perception of the period, It's not a first hand account of it as I was not even but born till '86 but from what I take from historical data that's how I see it.