January 18, 2007

Khan backed Arab plan to revert to '67 border

MP offered views contrary to PM in Ramallah interview

By Carolynne Wheeler (Special to the Globe and Mail)

Jerusalem -- Wajid Khan, the Prime Minister's special adviser on the Middle
East, has expressed support for an Arab initiative that would see Israel
return to its pre-1967 borders.

The Arab Peace Initiative would go further than any position publicly stated
by the Prime Minister. Indeed, Stephen Harper, as opposition leader, told
the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy during last year's
election campaign that it was impractical to demand Israel hand back all
land it took after the 1967 war.

The comments from Mr. Khan are in an interview the then-Liberal MP gave to
the Ramallah-based daily newspaper, Al-Hayat al-Jadida (The New Life), last
fall.

They offer another glimpse into the tone and content of the
Mississauga-Streetsville MP's meetings during an 18-day tour of the Middle
East last fall.

The report from Mr. Khan's trip has been kept under wraps by the Prime
Minister's Office, feeding speculation it may contain recommendations that
differ from present Canadian policy in the region, and fuelling calls for
its release after Mr. Khan's defection to the Conservative Party earlier
this month.

In the interview, which was translated into Arabic, Mr. Khan said his report
to the Prime Minister would be used as a basis for future "political and
economic" dealings, and said that Canada would welcome the formation of a
Palestinian unity government.

The unity government was called for by the so-called Quartet of mediators --
the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia to allow the
resumption of aid.

Canada led the way in cutting off tens of millions of dollars in funding to
the Palestinian Authority last year after Hamas's victory in parliamentary
elections; economic sanctions have continued as Hamas has refused demands to
recognize Israel's right to exist and to renounce violence. Efforts to form
a unity government that would abide by previously negotiated peace accords
-- and thereby allow the lifting of at least some sanctions -- have so far
failed.

Mr. Khan told Al-Hayat reporter Shaadi Manasra that he was reiterating "the
Prime Minister's desire for an independent, democratic Palestinian state,
living side-by-side with Israel" in his regional tour. Mr. Manasra has since
left the newspaper and could not be reached yesterday.

"The Canadian government will remain committed to supporting the Palestinian
people in the areas of education, infrastructure, industry and civil
society," Mr. Khan is reported to have said.

He is also reported to have "stressed that Canada has no objection as
regards the Arab Peace Initiative," a reference that appears to be the first
time a representative of the present government has addressed the
controversial plan.

Introduced by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Arab League at a 2002 summit
in Beirut, the initiative calls for Israel's full withdrawal from land
occupied after the 1967 war -- the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the
Golan Heights -- and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with
East Jerusalem as its capital and a "just solution" for Palestinian
refugees. In exchange, Israel would get full recognition from, and
normalized relations with, Arab states.

That plan has been rejected by Israel, which has annexed East Jerusalem and
the Golan. A request for clarification to Foreign Affairs in Ottawa last
night was not returned. However, in an interview just over a year ago,
then-Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper assured the Canadian Council
for Israel and Jewish Advocacy that under his watch Canada would not insist
that Israel retreat to pre-1967 borders in a final peace deal with the
Palestinians.

Mr. Harper made clear that, while there is need for compromise on both sides
in the land dispute, the "realities of the situation on the ground" -- in
reference to the growth of settlements beyond the 1967-border lines -- means
it is unrealistic to ask Israel to withdraw completely.

"I don't think the taking of rigid positions in face of democratic realities
is realistic," Mr. Harper had said.

In contrast, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and former Foreign Minister
Bill Graham spoke in support of the initiative when it was introduced, as a
way to encourage dialogue.

The article also refers to an interview with an unnamed political officer
from Canada's Foreign Affairs representative office in Ramallah, who
reiterated Canada's policy of avoiding contact with the existing government
until it meets with international conditions. Such interviews are unusual as
Canadian embassy officials abroad are under strict orders not to speak with
Canadian media; instead, Canadian journalists are referred to Ottawa-based
spokespeople, who are rarely forthcoming.

"We are waiting for Mr. Wajid Khan's report upon which we will be able to
develop an action plan for assisting the Palestinian people and its national
unity government," the officer said.

Mr. Khan also said that while in Ramallah he met with opposition figure
Mustafa Barghouti, who he praised as a "responsible and wise national
figure," and former finance minister Salam Fayyad. Mr. Khan described the
encounter as a "fruitful and positive meeting."

Mr. Fayyad is an American-trained economist and former Palestinian Authority
finance minister credited with tackling corruption in the former Fatah-led
government.

Originally published in the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070118.KHAN18/TPStory/National

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