A Response to a Comment

The author of "Why the World Doesn't Like Canada's New Image" responds to comments on his piece.

Given that your comment raises a few points that may seem to have some merit, but in fact are incorrect, I felt it required a response.

You state that Canada has never been “neutral” to Israel. This is quite true, and my commentary referred to the “the pro-Israel tilt” from the time of St. Laurent, even though I identified Canadian foreign policy in this regard as “relatively more balanced”. Many factual examples substantiate this claim, including Canada’s vote against the Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980 declaring “Israeli jurisdiction on Jerusalem illegal”; Canada’s vote in favour of the 1984 UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (recognizing Palestinian refugees’ right of return or compensations for those who cannot return); as well as the vote in support of the Security Council’s condemnation of Ariel Sharon's act of “provocation” when he walked to the Haram-Al-Sharif in 2000. Beginning with Martin’s government, and particularly after Harper, Canada shifted its voting pattern, from “abstention” to a “No” vote in resolutions critical of Israel.

The second point relates to the war in Afghanistan where you point that “The Canadian forces were deployed LONG before Iraq ...”. My reference to Jean Chretien’s lack of support for “American war efforts in Iraq” referred to the continued bombardments of Iraq and sanctions against that country before the second invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Jean Chretien was not supportive of the war and condemned sanctions against Iraq as late as July 2000. His internationally renowned Foreign Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, gave a one million dollar package of support for Iraqi children through UNICEF and the Red Cross. Obviously this did not make the Americans happy.

Your reference to “the UN approved Afghan mission” is misleading and warrants correction. The US/UK invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 was not a decision made by the Security Council. However, later the UNSC under much US lobby authorized the creation of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), later to be taken over by NATO. None of the preceding UNSC resolutions, including 1373 in September 2001 (prevent financing terrorists), 1378 in 2001 (UN to play an important role in Afghanistan), or 1363 in 2001(sanctions against the Taliban) permitted the invasion.

You sarcastically refer to “international heavyweights” negative votes and mention authoritarian or religious regimes. My views about such regimes, including the Islamists are known and their supporters are as irritated with me as some of the neo-cons hysterically responding to my piece. The issue is that not all UN members are authoritarian or fundamentalists, and Canada as a result of misguiding foreign policy under Conservative government failed to get their support.