Refugees

OK Mr. Harper – I give up! I will stop singling out Israel for special criticism

harper knesset close

“Of course, criticism of Israeli government policy is not in and of itself necessarily anti-Semitic. But what else can we call criticism that selectively condemns only the Jewish state (…). This is the face of the new anti-Semitism. It targets the Jewish people by targeting Israel.”

– Stephen Harper, Israeli Knesset, January 20th 2014

steven blaney at un

“Canada has taken a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination (…) towards Israel, and attempts to delegitimize Israel such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.”

– Stephen Blaney, UN General Assembly, January 22, 2015

Mr. Harper and many of his ministers have repeatedly threatened those who “single out” Israel for criticism. It feels like a campaign of intimidation. OK I give up! I will stop doing it. Read why (and how…)  (more…)

For 67 years, Israel has been destroying Palestinian homes and villages – a video seminar

westbank home destruction

Desperate and frightened Palestinian residents watch a home being destroyed in the West Bank as Israeli military stand guard. The total number of Palestinian homes destroyed in the 67 years since the creation of Israel almost certainly exceeds 100,000. Why does Israeli do that?  To find out watch my video seminar organized by the National Council on Canada Arab Relations (NCCAR)

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A Canadian diplomatic pioneer in the Middle East: Michael Shenstone

michael shenstone closeup

Michael Shenstone joined External Affairs in 1952 and within a year, was sent off to Lebanon to learn Arabic. He eventually rose to be Canadian ambassador to several mid-east countries. He retired from the foreign service 40 years later. He continues to be a strong advocate for fairness towards the Palestinians and for balance in Canada’s relations with Israel and the Arab world. “A stance”, he notes wryly, “that, until recently, was central to Canada’s policy.” – Read my interview here. (more…)