Principle trumps politics, religion in Harper’s support for Israel, say PM’s former associates

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s steadfast support for Israel is being criticized as “myopic” and “one-sided,” but those who have worked with him throughout his career in politics say it’s part of a broader, principled support for Western-style democracies rather than political calculus or religious conviction. Throughout its eight years in office the Harper government has been an outspoken booster for Israel, but the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza has led to a ramping up of rhetoric by Mr. Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.). Critics have suggested that the government’s unabashedly “unequivocal” support for Israel is rooted in ties between the Conservative Party’s base and evangelical faith groups, while others have accused the government of using the conflict to win over Jewish Canadian voters. But associates and former colleagues of Mr. Harper say that the government’s position has more to do with supporting Western-style democracies than it does with wooing Jewish voters or fulfilling evangelical prophecies. Derek Burney, who served as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. in the Progressive Conservative government of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, said that there was frustration with Canada’s long-standing “middle road” position when the Conservatives first won a minority government in 2006, and the Harper government has been pursuing a foreign policy “strong on principle” ever since. “I know the government was not enamoured with Canada’s ‘middle position’ on issues, which led us to abstain at the UN more often than we voted pro or con. That much was evident to me,” recalled Mr. Burney, who led Mr. Harper’s transition team in 2006. “One thing about the government’s policy on Israel is that there’s not too much ambiguity about it. They call it a principled policy and they are very forthright in their defence of democratic principles. That’s a fundamental tenet of their foreign policy.” The government continues to pledge its support for Israel in the face of mounting civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. In the three weeks since Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Protective Edge, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed and 4,500 injured. At least three Israeli civilians and more than 30 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, and Israeli civilians continue to endure rocket attacks launched from Gaza by Hamas. On July 24, another 16 Palestinians were killed, most of them women and children, when a UN school was bombed. The Palestinian death toll has risen dramatically since the IDF began its ground assault in Gaza on July 17. United Nations observers estimate that roughly 75 per cent of the Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes and ground operations have been civilians. Mr. Harper has defended Israel’s actions in Gaza as legitimate self-defence, and has blamed civilian casualties in the occupied territory on Hamas’ use of residential areas as staging grounds for rocket attacks. Mr. Baird has been even more outspoken throughout the crisis. Since the conflict began on July 8, the Foreign Affairs Minister has publicly rebuked United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who has accused both Israel and Hamas of violating international law. In a July 23 statement, Ms. Pillay raised concerns that Israel had failed to exercise “respect for the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack,” and accused Hamas and other extremist groups of “indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas” in Israel. Following Ms. Pillay’s statement, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning what it described as “widespread, systematic and gross violations of international human rights and fundamental freedoms” by the IDF in Gaza and authorizing a UN-led investigation into the alleged human rights violations. Mr. Baird was quick to reject the council’s resolution vote, however. “This resolution turns a blind eye to the facts on the ground and that one party is responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian people, and that is the international terrorist group Hamas. Hamas continues to indiscriminately fire rockets into Israeli communities, striking fear in millions of Israelis. Like every other sovereign state of the United Nations, Israel has every right, and the fundamental duty, to protect its citizens,” Mr. Baird said in a statement released by his office following the UN vote on July 23. “When I read what the Prime Minister of Foreign Minister says, I see much more of a linkage to democratic values and the sanctity of security in the face of terrorism as the justification for their position on Israel,” said Mr. Burney, co-author of the new book, Brave New Canada: Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World, which argues that Canada needs to adapt its foreign and domestic policies to meet new international challenges. Strong ties between the Conservative base and evangelical Christian groups have led to the criticism that the government’s position is either religiously motivated or meant to consolidate the support of religious groups. Mr. Harper is himself a member of the evangelical Christian and Missionary Alliance, but Mr. Burney told The Hill Times that he’s seen little evidence that Mr. Harper’s policies are informed by faith. “They talk repeatedly about the right of Israel to live in a secure environment in the midst of terror on almost every border. That’s the anchor of their position. I don’t see it being tied to religious conviction. There may be some connection, but I just don’t see it in what they say,” he said. Mr. Harper’s views on Israel were well established long before he became Prime Minister, said conservative columnist Gerry Nicholls, who worked with Mr. Harper during his time as president of the National Citizens Coalition. “Back then he was extremely pro-Israel. When I hear him talk about Israel now, it’s exactly how he talked 15 or 16 years ago,” he recalled. “e views Israel as a beacon of Western civilization and values in a part of the world where those values are rare. He thinks that all democracies should align themselves with fellow democracy Israel.” Mr. Nicholls said that the Prime Minister’s position on Israel is not based on faith or electoral support, but it provides a “happy intersection” with the many evangelical Christians who are part of the Tory base. “By being pro-Israel, he’s giving social conservatives something that’s in line with what he believes in anyway and which is politically popular,” Mr. Nicholls said. “For tactical reasons, this is a great issue for Harper because it unites his base and divides his opponents.” Some observers have noted that both the Liberals and NDP have tilted in the direction of the Conservatives’ position on Israel in recent weeks. Both parties have avoided admonishing Israel, instead affirming Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks and urging the two sides to negotiate a ceasefire. Ottawa Citizen Parliamentary bureau chief Mark Kennedy noted last week that NDP leader Tom Mulcair (Outremont, Que.) is gradually shifting his traditionally “pro-Palestinian” party towards a position that is more supportive of Israel, and CIGI senior fellow John Ibbitson wrote last week that Liberal foreign policy is increasingly mirroring Conservative foreign policy. “n the basis of the Liberal response to events in Gaza and Ukraine, it appears the Liberals may be more moderate in word, but follow the Conservative line in deed, when it comes to foreign affairs,” Mr. Ibbitson wrote in a blog post. “Canada has become a more conservative place under Stephen Harper, in the world as well as at home. At least as far as foreign policy is concerned, nothing is likely to change, no matter who is in charge.” Michael Taube, a conservative pundit who worked as a speechwriter in the early years of the Harper government, described Mr. Harper’s position on Israel as “principled and distinctly personal.” Mr. Taube also rejected suggestions that the government has staked out its position in an effort to win over Jewish voters. According to the latest National Household Survey, 330,000 Canadians identify as Jewish, while there are 380,000 Arabs and more than 1,000,000 Muslims living in Canada. “here are more Arabs and Muslims living in Canada than Jews. Going after the significant Arab and Muslim vote in various ridings could have, in theory, helped increase the number of Tory seats and the government’s overall political majority,“ Mr. Taube wrote in an email. “In my opinion, if the position on Israel had only ever been based on politics—which primarily deals with getting out the vote and total seat count to form government—it would have been very different.” Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said that it was “difficult to advance the proposition” that the Conservatives’ policy on Israel is motivated by electoral support. “You’re not talking about a huge pool of people from which to draw, and there are an awful lot of Jews who are committed to other political parties,” said Mr. Fogel, who was part of the Prime Minister’s delegation to Israel in January. “ are not an electoral consideration. They just can’t be with the caps on donations, with the size of the Jewish community, there is not a significant impact that it can have on the electoral landscape.” The government’s position may be a matter of principle, but that’s no reassurance for groups speaking out on behalf of the Palestinians. Rula Odeh, managing director of the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations, called the government’s position “myopic” and lacking in regard for the historical context of the conflict. “It’s time to go beyond rhetoric and look at the actual root causes, and address the lack of human rights, security, and peace for all,” Ms. Odeh told The Hill Times. “It’s remarkable that there’s very little empathy expressed about the very large civilian death toll. There’s over 700 killed, 4,600 injured, hundreds of homes destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people displaced.… Even if somebody doesn’t want to take sides on this, they should at least be on the side of international humanitarian law. That applies to both sides.” cplecash@hilltimes.com Twitter: @chrisplecash The Hill Times

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Principle trumps politics, religion in Harper’s support for Israel, say PM’s former associates

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