Liberal MP puts Ottawa Arab Community in its place

By Linda Belanger

The all candidates debate on issues of concern to the Arab community held last Wednesday at Carleton University should be a wake up call to both supporters of the Palestinian cause and to candidates for office.

The participating candidates, with the exception of the Green candidate who was invited late, all received an information package containing concise documents on the Israeli Wall, illegal settlements, UN Resolutions against Israel, maps and historical background on Palestine. It appears that none of the big three candidates consider the Arab/Muslim vote important enough to have bothered to review this material beforehand.

In the anti-war, anti missile defence, pro-human rights crowd of Arabs and their supporters, it is doubtful that anyone expected much from the conservative candidate. Mr. Paul Benoit, spoke of co-operation with the US on security and a new integrated foreign policy where trade, aid and diplomacy initiatives would all work together. A great idea if you share the Conservative party's vision for foreign policy. The Conservative rhetoric has been somewhat polished this time around, focussing on economic ties with the U.S. and co-operation on security while affirming they will be more assertive in resolving the lumber dispute and that Canada will determine its own policy – overall its just deep-integration and support for missile defence in camouflage.

In his opening statement, the NDP candidate, Mr. Rick Dagenais started off by reading from an NDP policy paper on Palestine. It was a good, if somewhat un-spontaneous start. From his statements during the rest of the evening it became doubtful that he understood anything of what he read in his opening statement. Speaking to the issue of stopping violence between Palestinians and Israelis, the NDP candidate stated that something that could be done to bring about peace between Israel and Palestine was for the international community to stop selling arms to both sides . In retrospect, this writer hopes that her suppressed outburst of laughter at that point was not mistaken for a sneeze.

John Ford, the Green candidate seemed like an individual who is sincerely concerned about human rights. The Green party policy advocates fair trade and would seek to tie trade agreements with the human rights records of trade partners. However, he was clearly uninformed about the dynamics of Palestine and Israel. The organizers of the event confirmed that Mr. Ford had not received the information package before the debate.

Liberal Cabinet Minister, Mauril Belanger (no relation to the author) was very disappointing, when asked what he and his party would do to promote a just peace, all he could offer as an example was his personal support of the Peace Camp held at Ashbury College for the last 2 summers. Peace Camp Canada brings young Israelis and Palestinians between the ages of 16 and 18 to Ottawa for two weeks of dialogue during the summer. A worthwhile initiative yes, but this is not Mr. Belanger's creation nor is it a highlight of what Canadians who support international law and a just peace should expect from their government. I can't begin to imagine how members of the audience who have lost property and family in 1948, 1967 and on a daily basis to the construction of the wall would have felt at hearing Mr. Belanger boast of this achievement.

Surely, a cabinet minister who was at all supportive of justice for Palestine and who had any understanding of how this issue fuels terrorism could have mentioned that he supports international law and has spoken to his cabinet colleagues to that effect.

I suppose Mr. Belanger should get good mark for honesty but if this is all he had to offer this audience, he should have stayed home.

Although not a member of the Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel, Mr. Belanger, seems to understand what it takes to remain a member of the Zionist funded Neo-Liberal Paul Martin/ Gerry Schwartz team.

In response to another question, Mr. Belanger attempted to buy the support of the audience by informing us that the Liberal government has contributed millions to the Palestinian Authority for development and the promotion of democracy. It warms my heart to know that my tax dollars are being thrown into an abyss in an attempt to create the illusion that the Canadian government is neutral in this conflict. Water wells, community centres, clinics and schools built with international aid do not escape Israeli shelling and confiscation. Until aid to Palestine is accompanied by moral suasion through sanctions on Israel, we may as well concentrate on sending aid to Africa. We owe no gratitude to a government that can offer nothing more than the indignity of buying us with our own tax dollars.

After the debate, the audience was given an opportunity to ask questions. Mr. Belanger became visibly flustered when asked if he thought it was appropriate to have a group of Liberals calling themselves Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel (LPFI) within the Liberal party. Members of the group hold 8 cabinet positions and include the minister of Justice.

This question was greeted with loud applause from the audience. The Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel 2003 policy document claims that the United Nations is biased against Israel and recommends that Canada vote against UN Resolutions condemning Israeli aggression. It criticizes the Foreign Affairs department for using the term “cycle of violence” as this implies that there is violence on the part of Israel as well as on the part of the Palestinian “terrorists”. The LPFIs also want to replace the use of the term "occupied territories" in referring to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with the term "disputed territories .

Mr. Belanger became defensive and tried to justify the existence of this group by saying that it was one of many parliamentary groups for various causes. It is unclear here if Mr. Belanger was thinking of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Friendship Group (CIIFG) which includes many of the same MPs as LPFI and members from other parties as well. In any case, LPFI and CIIFG are closely linked. A Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Friendship Group press release found on the LPFI website boasts that "never before has a friendship group set the goals that we have set for ourselves".  

Mr. Belanger went on to say that he had attended as many if not more Arab events than Jewish events in the past year. He did not address the legitimate concern of the questioner about a group proudly and plainly advocating for the interest of a foreign country. Rather than address this serious matter, Mr. Belanger misconstrued the question and insinuated that the questioner and the entire audience who had applauded the question were anti-Semitic.

Mr. Belanger's performance exemplifies the hold that Zionists interests have gained in the Martin government. In the neo-Liberal party it is clear that not all Canadians are equal, not even when international law is on their side.

Canada recently joined the U.S., Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in opposing UN Resolutions condemning Israel. Canada has a Free Trade Agreement with Israel and Jim Peterson, Minister of International Trade and a member of the LPFIs is working to increase trade with Israel including weapons contracts.

In the neo-Liberal vision of Canada, Arab Canadians will occasionally get to meet with their MPs who will politely listen to their concerns. In lieu of support for international law and the Geneva Convention they will have to be content with aid to Gaza while watching Israeli settlements expand in the West Bank. Perhaps if they are really lucky, a family member from Palestine will be selected to come to Ottawa to gain a better understanding of why their school was shelled, their cousin was shot in the head or their grand father's land was confiscated.

As one woman was overheard saying as she exited the hall, “I feel like a second class citizen.”

Supporters of justice for Palestine must not allow themselves to take satisfaction in the second class offerings such as those made by Mr. Belanger. The parallels between apartheid South Africa and Israel's policies towards Palestinians in the occupied territories are clear. The focus for the coming year should be concrete demands that Israel be the subject of boycott, divestment and sanctions just as South Africa was.

According to the 2001 Census, the Arab population of 4 out of 6 Ottawa ridings far exceeds the Jewish population. (see table below). The situation is similar in major cities across Canada. Furthermore, many Jews do not approve of Israel's policies towards the Palestinians and more are waking up to the facts every day. The day is approaching when politicians will find that ignoring the legitimate grievances of the Arab population is a losing strategy.

2001 Census of Canada

Source: Statistics Canada