Prime Minister Harper said all the right things about the terrorist group Hamas winning the Palestinian Authority election in January, when Mr. Harper was first sworn in last month. In a nutshell he said Canada’s aid was contingent upon that group changing its ways and renouncing its terrorist tactics, acknowledging that Israel has a right to exist, and other such things. Unless the conditions are met, Canada could cut off assistance to the Palestinian government.
This is what he said in his February 14 news release:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement :
“Canada remains committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and the creation of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.
The Government of Canada fully supports the Quartet’s statement of January 30, 2006. Future assistance to any new Palestinian government will be reviewed against that government’s commitment to the principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
We commend President Abbas for his leadership and commitment to the peace process in the Middle East. During this interim period, President Abbas has Canada’s full support, although our government will continue to review the situation on an ongoing basis.”
The government’s position was communicated to President Mahmoud Abbas in a telephone conversation today.
Then yesterday new Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay seemed to go off script, following a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister. I guess the Russian was very compelling. McKay said, in effect, that Canada would continue to support the Palestinian Authority in some small ways by trickling aid through the Russians or some such thing.
That would be a terrible mistake. I trust Russia about as much as I trust “ethics” “czar” Bernard Shapiro. And I trust Hamas to not divert that aid to killing Jews, about as much as I trust your average Al-Qaeda operative.
Today, McKay seems to be back-tracking on those statements and that’s good.
But it does show a little bit of wobbliness on this file when the Foreign Affairs Minister goes back and forth on a matter that is really quite straight forward. Canada doesn’t support nor negotiate with terrorists. Period.
Canada should take whatever aid it was giving to the Palestinian Authority and give it to Israel instead, because they may well need it to bolster their defence against the terrorist attacks that are sure to come from the Hamas terrorists.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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