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affiliate of canpalnet.ca CANADA-PALESTINE SUPPORT NETWORK
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June 19, 2004 Voting is not enough By Linda Belanger Canpalnet-Ottawa I have been a lifelong Liberal but because of the Liberal party’s move to the right economically and in matters of foreign policy I decided to vote NDP and was truly excited about it . I even joined the party and made substantial financial contributions. What attracted me to the NDP was the strong stand that it has taken against the Iraq war, its opposition to economic and defence integration with the U.S. and especially the outspoken stand that Alexa McDonough and Sven Robinson have taken in condemning Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza. Unfortunately I believe that many people who take justice for Palestine to heart were disappointed last week. The letter below was received by some of the many individuals who wrote to Jack Layton regarding BC NDP candidate Charley King’s presence at the Walk for Israel. Not only was the candidate present but he stood by as hateful and intolerant statements were made about Palestinians and Arabs.
This is precisely the type of rhetoric that we have learned to expect from the Liberals. Nice words but when it comes down to actually behaving in a way that would promote these words, it’s a no go. The government position on the Middle East situation also sounds fair, balanced and supportive of international law. Refer to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website for details. The Liberals, however, have failed to take actions that support their words, and in fact they have accorded supporters of Israel influential cabinet positions in the government. The January 4th edition of the Jewish Bulletin boasts about the Israeli supporters in Cabinet. In the Fall of 2003, the Liberal government voted against the International Court of Justice ruling on the legality of the separation wall that Israel is building deep into Palestinian territory. The reason given was that the issue should be settled by negotiation. I wonder how our leaders would feel if their neighbour built a fence on their property and they were told by the court to negotiate with the neighbour. This could be especially difficult if the neighbour, like Israel, was rich and armed to the teeth! All elected officials and candidates from all parties should have walked off the stage when racist comments were made. In light of the NDP’s anti war and pro human rights stand it is particularly disappointing that the NDP candidate did not. In his letter, Mr. Layton speaks of the importance of constructive dialogue and says that hatred and intolerance are not Canadian values, but such statements must be backed by a policy of refusing to participate at events where the dialogue is hateful and making it clear to all NDP members that this is the party policy. This was an important opportunity for Mr. Layton to act on his statements. Many of his supporters wrote to urge him to do so. Voting alone cannot sustain justice and democracy. On the contrary, this incident should be taken as a lesson that we must be vigilant, outspoken and involved in the political process by joining the party and influencing it from within. It is truly frightening to think of how low we have sunk in this country. I have often thought of the great technological advancements that humanity has made in the last fifty years and felt that we had not made as much progress on an intellectual or spiritual level. But how many of us thought that we could possibly ever lose ground. This is clearly what is happening, not just in the US but in Canada as well. Canadians who seek justice for Palestine and a just and tolerant Canadian society will have to speak out and become involved within political parties or, in the case of the NDP, the unions that fund the party. The cost of not doing so is becoming frightening. |
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