Liberals/Conservatives/NDP - Enough Shame
to Go Round
The Conservative Party of Canada last week sent out a mailer to constituents in several ridings where there are a significant numbers of Jewish voters. Two of these ridings are represented by Jewish Members of Parliament, Irwin Cotler (Mount Royal) and Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre).
The mailer accuses Liberal MPs and the Liberal Party itself of anti-Semitism because of the alleged failure of the Liberal Party to support Israel. This is an inspired bit of political slight of hand by the Conservatives as it kills two birds with one stone. On the one hand it completely misrepresents the Liberal position in the matter of supporting of the state of Israel. On the other hand it deliberately misrepresents the nature of anti-Semitism.
Contrary to the claims made in the Conservative Party mailer, the Liberal Party in Canada and its individual members of Parliament have been almost as shameless as Stephen Harper and the Conservatives in their uncritical support of Israel. In fact few politicians in Canada, Liberal/Conservative/NDP ever take a principled stand on the question of Israel. Canadian political parties have uniformly been either apologetic or silent in the light of Israel’s 42 year occupation of Palestinian lands in Jerusalem, The West Bank and Gaza. The silence has been even longer on the matter of a just resolution for the Palestinian refugees who were forced out of Israel at the creation of the state in 1948. Canadian politicians have nothing to say as Israel daily humiliates and brutalizes the Palestinian people in the occupied territories with its separation wall and countless military checkpoints that strangle the economic and social lives of the Palestinian people. Few if any have decried the embargo of Gaza since 2006 that has reduced the population there to the level of starvation. We heard only apologetics when Israel launched a brutal attack on the civilian population of Gaza last December and January that killed 1300 Palestinians and reduced the entire area, hospitals, houses, infrastructure and businesses, to rubble. Nor did any of Canada’s politicians object to Israel’s use of banned weapons, such as white phosphorous against the civilian population in that attack. Liberals, Conservatives and NDP alike say nothing as Israel continues to seize and destroy Palestinian land and houses in East Jerusalem, and the West Bank to create Jewish-only settlements and roads. All these actions are profoundly unjust and done in contravention of international law yet no outrage emanates from the lips of Canada’s major political parties.
The Liberals, NDP and Conservatives are entirely consistent in their unwillingness to question Israeli actions or to demand justice for the Palestinian people or for any of the other people subject to Israeli attacks. Israel for example has waged six wars on Lebanon and is contemplating a seventh. Few Canadian politicians have ever raised their voices against Israel for its unconscionable behavior. More commonly we see politicians like Steven Harper suggesting that any criticism of Israeli actions amounts to an anti-Semitic attack.
It might be news to Mr. Harper and other politicians but Israel and the Jewish people are not identical. Nor do all Jews support Israeli actions or the concept of a Jewish-only state which is the fundamental principle of Zionism. Many Jews in Canada and elsewhere believe as do most Canadians in law, fairness and social justice. They understand that Israeli actions are inconsistent with these beliefs. Criticizing Israeli actions and policy is not an attack on Jews.
The Conservative
Party mailer is profoundly disturbing. It equates belief in justice and
the rule law with anti-Semitism. How can it be anti-Semitic to uphold the
very principles they espouse as the basis for Canadian society? In their attitudes towards Israel however the
Liberals and NDP are equally hypocritical.