FACE TO FACE: Is the Harper government's stance on Israel the right one?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has finally brought the far-right flock together with his rabid, unconditional support for Israel.
Much to the shock of Canadians and the world, the PM has swapped Canada's peacekeeping, international perspective for one based on unquestioned support for U.S. foreign policy, especially as it pertains to Israel. To the delight of the far-right crowd of his Conservative coalition, Canada is again swashbuckling, talking tough, taking a stand.
Yes, Stephen Harper's Canadian Alliance slip is showing. He has long had to shush the loony faction of his coalition. He couldn't and still can't give them what they really want: abolishing abortion, gay marriage and unions.
But with overblown rhetorical support for Israel, Mr. Harper has discovered he can push a pro-American philosophy while pleasing his evangelical base - and, incredibly, with almost no political blow-back.
So Mr. Harper is giddily flexing his pro-American rhetorical muscles, long atrophied by years of fragile minority government. For example, these comments: "Any attack on Israel will be considered an attack on Canada" and "We will support Israel no matter what the cost."
At a recent G8 meeting, Canada, with unprecedented petulance, was the only country to insist that the 1967 partition in the Middle East must not be the basis for Middle East peace negotiations.
The frightening level of the PM's outspoken and unequivocal support for Israel shouldn't surprise anyone as he is a committed disciple of American conservatism.
Back in 1997, he called the U.S. conservative movement "an inspiration to Canada and the world."
And in 2003, Mr. Harper and Stockwell Day wrote an editorial criticizing Canada for missing the opportunity to join the U.S. war in Iraq. The editorial was written not for The Globe and Mail but for the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Harper's unequivocal support for Israel comes from this oft-expressed desire to emulate U.S. foreign policy and from his stated personal belief that "Islamic extremism is the number one threat to Canada."
Canadians support Israel's right to exist. We overwhelmingly support an internationally brokered, two-nation solution.
But few Canadians appreciate our Middle East policy being represented by our prime minister's hawkish, U.S-inspired philosophy.
Face to Face columnist Jim Nelson is a retired Tri-City teacher and principal who lives in Port Moody. He has contributed a number of columns on education-related issues to The Tri-City News.
