NOW Toronto: Gutless Canadian Pols Know It's Not a Vote Winner to Take on the Israel Lobby

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Cry In the Dark
GUTLESS CANADIAN POLITICIANS KNOW IT'S NOT A VOTE WINNER TO TAKE ON THE ISRAEL LOBBY

By Glenn Wheeler


Talk about using festivities to get off the hook. When Israel began its aerial bombardment of Gaza on the last Saturday of December, politicians in Canada must have heaved a sigh of relief that they were able to stay nested in family holiday mode.

The fact is, most politicians see much danger and no gain in taking a muscular position in defence of human rights in the Middle East. Extend that to the incoming U.S. administration and you arrive at one conclusion: when it comes to Israel-Palestine, the public, both here and there, is poorly served by North American politics and politicians.

At what point will conditions for Palestinian civilians become so dire that public opinion will force governments to act? And why, with an estimated 600 Gazans dead and 3,000 injured, aren’t we hearing forceful statements from our elected officials about a “disproportionate response” and “humanitarian disaster”?

I reach Richmond Hill MP Bryon Wilfert, Liberal Foreign Affairs critic, and ask if there’s any difference between his party’s position and that of the Conservative government, whose Foreign Affairs minister said this week that the “rocket attacks on Israel” are the “cause of this crisis.”

“We have to act in Canada’s interests,” Wilfert replies, “not point fingers.” A cautious Wilfert refers to the statement by leader Michael Ignatieff, who “unequivocally condemns the rocket attacks launched by Hamas against Israeli civilians” and “affirms Israel’s right to defend itself against such attacks.” .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=166692