Posted on 01/26/2014 11:01:59 AM PST by Kaslin
During a press conference with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an Israeli reporter asked visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “Is Canada paying a price for being so supportive of Israel? Is it possible to support Israel and still have ties to the Arab world?”
This question goes to the heart of what is generally perceived as Israel’s greatest weakness. The Arab boycott of Israel and of companies doing business with Israel has served as one of the most potent weapons in the anti-Israel arsenal for over a generation. Indeed, since the OPEC oil embargo in 1974, it has been the Arabs’ single most powerful weapon in their unceasing campaign for the destruction of the Jewish state.
It was Arab economic bullying that forced African nations to cut their ties with the Jewish state.
It was the Arab use of the oil weapon after the 1973 Yom Kippur War that convinced Western Europe to end its diplomatic support for Israel and throw in with the PLO.
More than anything else, it is the Arab economic boycott of companies that do business with Israel that has eroded Israel’s diplomatic standing over the past two generations and transformed the only human rights respecting democracy in the Middle East into an international pariah.
And yet, under Stephen Harper, as the noose of international isolation is drawn around Israel’s neck more tightly every day, Canada has emerged as an outspoken supporter and defender of the Jewish state.
So in essence, the Israeli reporter’s question to Harper could easily be rephrased as, “Are you crazy?”
Harper responded to the question by rejecting its premises – that the Arab world behaves as a bloc, and that standing up for your convictions is a losing proposition when those convictions involve taking unpopular stands.
As he put it, “I wouldn’t want to say there is no price, but my general view of the world is that people respect your view, if you express it appropriately and they understand it’s genuine….The fact of the matter is, Canada has deep relations with many Arab countries…. And frankly [there are] many matters where we probably far more often agree than disagree. So look, I don’t think it’s automatically the view that if you have a particular issue where you disagree, that this needs to rupture relationships irrevocably.”
In other words, what Harper acknowledged was that yes, Canada has lost contracts in some Arab countries due to its support for Israel. But by and large, it hasn’t taken a serious hit.
as America retreats to a night with Reggie Love.
Sad.
“One word, Benjamin: oil sands.”
Canada is self sufficient on petroleum and does not need to kiss Islamic Terrorist butt.
Canada now is the leader against Anti-Semitism
Canada has a significant and growing Arab Muslim population. Though 'Palestinian' issues are important to Canadian Muslims, they are aligned with Harper's Conservatives on other social and economic issues.
Like the U.S., Canada uses its immigration policies to help resolve international issues. From the Jerusalem Post a few days ago:
Numerous Arab media outlets have reported in recent days that US Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed that Palestinian refugees be relocated to either Canada or Australia in the event that an agreement is reached between Israel and the PA.
Note that Kerry is not offering the U.S. as a destination.
Among Middle Eastern populations, Egyptian Copts and Syrian and Lebanese Christians are peaceful immigrants who do not tax the welfare system.
Arab’s are running the ‘friendship gig’ like a big city mob collecting protection money. Friends as long as you keep paying...
Soon the cost of being protected is going up. Always does.
Canada’s will do well standing on principles rather than hoping for the best with false friends.
We need to build those boys a pipeline. Do what we can to keep Harper in power.
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