Israel, with all its flaws, deserves Canada’s support

OTTAWA—Does Israel have the right to exist? It is a serious question, and if answered in the affirmative, raises many more. The recent anniversary of the founding of Israel in 1948 prompted a relatively innocuous video by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. With an election looming, the Liberals and Conservatives will battle to win the votes of the Canadian Jewish community, who overwhelmingly support Israel. However, in a move it presumably thought was clever, a group called Independent Jewish Voices of Canada provided its own version of the video, with a script on the screen contradicting the PM. It included comments such as "celebrating the ethnic cleansing of Palestine," and "(Canada and Israel's) relationship is due to manipulation of the Jewish community." The video was shared by a former Canadian diplomat who refused to take it down when asked. I followed up by criticizing the video on the group’s Facebook page. The response was harsh screeds by supposed “progressives” who attacked me as a “Zionist” and insisted Israel had no right to exist. One pseudo-intellectual accused Canadian Jews who support Israel of not being “authentic.” It is admittedly not easy defending Israel these days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in office since 2009 and is an unlikely role model for a modern democracy. Recent charges of fraud and breach of trust, and his persistent machinations to stay in power over four elections in two years don’t reflect well on him or his country. His Likud government’s consistent lack of progress in establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, and the perpetual expansion in the occupied territories have made few friends internationally. In Canada, polls consistently show rising support for the Palestinian cause, with about one-quarter supporting Israel. But Netanyahu and Likud are not Israel; the divided electorate is a sign many people of good faith seek progress. And the facts are these: Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East. It is an ally of the West, sharing intelligence and trading freely. Canada is home to a Jewish diaspora of almost 400,000 people, many of whom are leaders in Canadian society. At the same time, our fading collective memory forgets Israel was founded as a Jewish state in the wake of the Holocaust. And that it has survived several wars in one of the world's most dangerous neighbourhoods. The complexity of relations between Israel and Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Middle East states is like three-dimensional chess. It is no wonder Israel has never been an innocent on the world stage. The existential threats its citizens face on a daily basis are unthinkable for Canadians. Imagine if there were regular attacks of rocket grenades in the streets of Ottawa from neighbouring Quebec. Or if the nuclear weapons in upstate New York were aimed at Canada. At its recent policy convention, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh bent over backwards to emphasize criticism of Israel was not covert anti-Semitism. But attacks on Jews and synagogues in Canada frequently involve some conflation with Israel, and those attacks are occurring more often. Israel is singled out for criticism at the United Nations more than any other country, which is ironic, considering how many human rights violators are among the accusers. When I was at the UN in 2004, a resolution came to the floor of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to endorse a study on women’s rights in the West Bank and Gaza. The report blamed Israel for the lack of freedom for women there, even though their status hinged far more on the decisions of their own governments. I could not support the resolution in good conscience, and failing to reach my colleagues, sought cover through the minister’s office. This led to a policy by the Paul Martin government of voting on the merits of any issue concerning Israel and the Palestinians, rather than aligning with the anti-Israel majority. Subsequent governments have followed with a version of this policy. So, the question is asked again: does Israel have the right to exist? Yes. And that is why, despite its flaws, every Government of Canada has supported Israel since it declared independence in 1948. Anyone who suggests otherwise is an idiot, or worse, a bigot. Editor's note: The column incorrectly translated one sentence from the parody video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marking Israel Independence Day produced by Independent Jewish Voices Canada. It was supposed to say: “Our close relationship is based on the instrumentalisation (or tokenism) of the Jewish community in Canada,” not “by” the Jewish community in Canada. The column been updated and corrected. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and a principal of QIT Canada. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times