Dear Jack’s assistant,

As a member of the party, I do not seek pacification from my leaders, but rather leadership (courage and honesty).

Mr. Layton’s scripted statements regarding the “civilian disaster” in the Middle East, in which he expresses the “extreme… concern…” shared by all New Democrats about the “loss of innocent civilian lives in both Gaza and Israel”, are neither honest nor courageous.

While I could certainly deconstruct the entirety of both messages I will leave that for more suitable venues. Given the severity of the issues being discussed, however, I feel the need to point out a few of the more glaring half, mis and untruths.

“The use of force in Gaza must cease; so too must rocket attacks on Israel.”
[Surely it can be seen how this statement plays into the Israeli arguments that the only way to stop the rocket attacks is by destroying the source of said attacks. In fact, the NDP has reinforced the framework espoused by Stephen Harper and Lawrence Canon; that first and foremost the rocket attacks on Israel must stop, otherwise Israel will be forced to defend itself vis-a-vis the violence that we are supposedly "extremely concerned with." I noticed how the word "condemn" was carefully avoided throughout both releases.]

“We join with world leaders in describing the shelling of a United Nations Headquarters as indefensible.”
[These actions, amongst many others conducted by the IDF during the assault, while certainly “indefensible”, would be more accurately described as war crimes. Why so afraid to call an apple an apple? There is nothing controversial about reflecting reality in your speech, and it is certainly loathsome to shy away from talking about war crimes.]

Jack then states that Canada should be ready to play a role in the “international monitoring of the ceasefire, including by providing Canadians troops as UN peacekeepers”. What his writer means by “peacekeepers” is elucidated in the next sentence: “The monitoring must be implemented in a way that prevents rocket attacks on Israel and the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.”

What of the billions of dollars of arms shipped to Israel each year by western nations? Will the “peacekeeprs” monitor and put a stop to that? Will the NDP even mention it? What about the continued expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank? Perhaps the “peacekeepers” could monitor the exodus of “Jewish” residents from said settlements, and the return of Palestinians to their land? Will the “peacekeepers” block Israeli bulldozers from tearing up even more Palestinian olive trees? Wouldn’t the NDP want them to at least “monitor” the tearing down of the illegal wall dissecting the West Bank?

A final gem offered up in the facile press releases (which didn’t even make the news): “New Democrats reaffirm our longstanding support for a two-state solution which ensures Israelis and Palestinians can live safely, side by side, in independent states with secure borders.”

Jack/Jack’s writer, do you mean the “two-state” solution described in 1947 by UNGA Res. 181 (II), and brought into effect through SC Res. 42 of 1948, which first gave international legitimacy to the state of Israel? To which Israelis immediately violated (in accordance to the doctrine of expansion professed by the Israeli leaders), while the UN failed to intervene (in accordance to the wishes of the U.S. delegates)? Do you mean the two-state solution that has been agreed to by Fatah, Hamas and the PLO before that? The deal that does not interest Israel because of an interest in a) maintaining the “Jewishness” of Jerusalem, b) expansion, c) ethnic cleansing, d) genocide?

Perhaps it is meant the two-state solution that would contrast sharply to both customary and black letter law. Customary, in that no such position was taken in response to the very similar apartheid situation in South Africa, and black letter in that Canada, as a member of the UN, has denounced colonialism, and affirmed the right of people to self determination (UN Charter Chapters XI and XII). As far as reality in concerned, even in the case of a two-state solution, Israel remains a neo-colonial regime, and the rights of the Palestinians to self-determination continue to be violated.

Obviously fear runs deep within the NDP, and it has made the party ineffective. Israel was once again allowed to carry out policies of genocide and ethnic cleansing while western nations applauded from the sidelines. Jack’s cowardly press releases did nothing to change that. This is a subject on which he should publicly humiliate Stephen Harper, but instead Jack and the New Democrats offer up statements that amount to reassertions of Harper’s position.

New democrats do not support colonialism, ethnic cleansing or genocide, though apparently the same cannot be said of “New Democrats”.

You have UN 242 precisely backwards. Here it is:
Emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security,
1. Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:
(i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;

So Sal – peace is based on Israel’s withdrawal of its armed forces because the acquisition of territory by war is inadmissible. Not too difficult to understand, is it? Having gotten 242 wrong, it renders the rest of your statement moot. Israelis have in fact NOT come under attack since they invaded Palestine – it is the Palestinians who have been under attack, occupation and expropriation of their land. It is the Palestinians who have been killed in 10:1 ratios – not the Israelis. As for whom to give it back to, the answer is quite obvious – when the Israelis withdraw they will notice the land is inhabited by 4 million Palestinians. Besides, both Jordan and Egypt long ago relinquished authority to the Palestinians. As for terrorism, it is Israel that has all the tools of terror and uses them prolifically, the Palestinians are basically unarmed. Looks like you’ve never heard of state terrorism – or is it that you worship the notion of the state so deeply that a state can do no wrong? Israel ‘gave back’ the Sinai because it realized that Egypt would not rest until the Sinai was brought home to Egypt. You do realize that Israel came within a whisker of losing the ’73 war, don’t you. So Israel went practical for a change – they relinquished the ill-gotten gain of Sinai in return for Egypt’s silence on the plight of the Palestinians. For that, Sadat justifiably lost his life.
Sal – You don’t sound like you are a student of history, at least not Middle East history.

Now that Mr. Obama wants to absurdly escalate in unwinnable Afghanistan (where the President’s own brother is a druglord), don’t expect that Canada will get out anytime soon.

And since evil Israel is intent on attacking Iran, maybe Canada will help with that also.

I recently asked the UN to intervene in Canada’s (Harper’s) contravention of the UN protocol regarding child soldiers in the case of Omar Khadr.anada is complicit in his torture.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Psycho-Sam-by-John-S-Hatch-090227-360.html

“My government is a very strong supporter of the state of Israel and considers the Iranian threats to be absolutely unacceptable and beyond the pale,” said The Canadian prime minister, the Wall Street Journal’s online edition reported.
“It concerns me that we have a regime with both an ideology that is obviously evil, combined with a desire to procure technology to act on that ideology,” Harper said.

While what Harper says may be true, a quick scan of the current reality suggests otherwise. Being an MSM instrument, I don’t believe the WSJ’s reporter asked Mr. Harper to name the country that has troops half way across the world propping-up an illegal government (after an illegal invasion)? ….Or to name the country that has nuclear weapons but which has not signed the NPT and is not in compliance with the NPT protocols….Or perhaps to name the country that has maintained the longest illegal occupation of a territory in recent history.
The answer to these questions confirms the inaneness of Mr. Harper’s comments.

Equally alarming is the belligerence this government’s representatives seem to enjoy, for instance, Mr. MacKay’s recent commentary about the incident with a Russian bomber near Canadian airspace…..
“Canadian pilots sent a strong signal they should back off and stay out of our airspace,” MacKay said
“It was a strong coincidence which we met with … CF-18 fighter planes and world-class pilots that know their business,” he said.
Probably a routine patrol turned into ‘media event’. I hope what actually happens in the air in such instances is more respectful than Mr. MacKay’s response. I’m sure Canadian pilots are world class…I suspect Russian MiG pilots are as well.
I do wonder though, how much of this type of posturing and behavior truly reflects the general Canadian population’s feelings and belief’s. Considering that this government was just re-elected is it reasonable to assume that a good percentage of the population that approves?

comparing discrimination for ‘jews’ with the discrimination for indigenes, we may find few aspects in the two discriminatory stances that match.

at the moment, i can’t find even one aspect that pertains to both groups.
discrimination/anger against and hatred for ?all ashk’m has roots seems to me, in religious-shamanistic-cultish rationalizations.

discrimination against slavs and latinos also differ from one another; and both differ much from discrimination for blacks. thnx

There has never been a state of Palestine. The lands that Israel occupies were formally a part of Jordan and Egypt. UN resolution 242 states that the land should be returned once a peaceful solution can be obtained. Unfortunately (for everyone) since 1967 there have been numerous attacks on Israel and Israelis such that it has not been feasible to give this land back, but then give it back to whom is the real question? The Palestinians have been more concerned with generating terrorism and hate rhetoric than seeking a peaceful solution like Egypt did in 1980.
In fact the Israel-Egypt peace accord is an example of how Israel is perfectly willing to give back land (it gave back all of the Sinai) in return for peace.

We’ve had this discussion elsewhere on this site – that it should be understood that upwards of 60 million people were killed in WWII – and that we should not give undue attention to just one population group.

That Jews have been discriminated against is a certainty. However, in the US (as in Canada) Jews are likely the most successful immigrant group in the nation’s history. Discrimination against Middle Easterners is much more of a problem in the US – and, of course, historical discrimination against Jews in no way compares to that against blacks, Native-Americans and other non-white groups. In fact, even within white populations, I believe historical discrimination against the Irish was far more prevalent than that against Jews.

Years after these new-age Nazis are exposed and defeated, Canada will be able to say, ‘We were not fooled. We sided with human rights, freedom and moral decency from the beginning.”

If only nations had set aside fear of a forming global mob (like Canada is doing now over the islam movement of today) 60 some years ago, maybe Nazi Germany would never have amounted to anything. Maybe 1/3 of the entire Jewish population would not have been murdered. But then the UN would have nothing to deny…

Lets be clear about one thing: Muslims make up almost 25% of the population of Earth; Jews make up LESS THAN 0.2%. Anyone who thinks Jews are not a discriminated against minority is simply an idiot, or can’t figure out basic math.

I am expecting you will eat your words and be proud of Canada after these slavers, dictators, and abusers of human rights calling themselves a human rights advocacy group are exposed… oh wait, they are already exposed and its obvious to every one in the world that has not yet been brain washed by Islam. What the hell are you waiting for? Wake up!

so, sins of own fathers are defended by their sons. and this may go on for an eternity.
thnx

MIRACLE: HAMAS TERRORIST COMES BACK TO LIFE
>
> This video clip from January provides yet another example of how Hamas
> fools gullible western journalists and UN officials about Palestinian
> casualty figures.
>
> http://www.road90.com/watch.php?id=gF4Hh9lmVW

“Canadian peacekeepers have served in the Sinai, Lebanon and the Golan
Heights”
That’s why they Understand what it is all about!