Canada removes U.S., Israel from torture watchlist

[King of Kensington]

Except the voting at the UN is pretty much the same...the swing toward a more pro-Israel position actually started under Martin. And just recently Bermier mildly criticized Israel in a way that wouldn't be all that different from say, Bob Rae.

Anyway Harper's comments were probably more of an attempt to make Israel a "wedge issue" to try to get the Jewish vote in Canada (though that's not likely to happen), and/or playing up to the evangelical base, than a substantive change in Israel policy.

 

[unimaginative2]

I know about the changed votes, but they're only a small part of our foreign policy towards Israel. I'm not quite sure what you're talking about here. What is a foreign policy other than the articulated position of lead policymakers? Our foreign policy is, for example, strongly supporting Israel's Lebanon operation. You've explained very well possible motivations for why he changed the policy. It's a much different policy from anything that a Liberal government would have taken, for better or worse.

 

[King of Kensington]

Whatever the difference though, Harper did use it as a wedge issue to say "I'm the only leader who supports Israel." Of course it's total BS, it's more like the Conservatives are 95% pro-Israel while the Liberals are only 90% (and the NDP 85%).

 

[shumoon]

Whew! Better not let any Maronites see your mistake, or they might massacre your entire family.

Maronites - the only people who have a bloodlust for muslim arabs that exceeds that of Likudniks.

If I might draw a parallel: Maronite is to arab muslim in Israel as KKK member is to black person in the USA.

Maronite Christians and Muslims have been able to put some of their differences aside and form a government in Lebanon. It's politically fragile, but the religious groups have been able to work together.

 

[ganjavih]

Whew! Better not let any Maronites see your mistake, or they might massacre your entire family.

That sort of talk shouldn't be allowed here.

 

[shumoon]

In March of this year, the U.S. State Department also took China off its list of worst human rights offenders, just in time for the Olympics. China's reaction was, as you might expect, indifference.