They’re starting to get confused more than anything, because they are a party without principle.
Ignatieff gaffe forces aide to quit
OTTAWA (CP) – Another controversial comment by Liberal leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff has cost him the support of his Toronto campaign co-chair.
Thornhill MP Susan Kadis withdrew her support for Ignatieff on Wednesday, after he accused Israel of committing a “war crime” during its bombardment of Lebanon last summer.
“Michael is an intelligent person and I would think that he would have a better handle on the Middle East given his years of experience on human rights and international law,” Kadis said in a written statement.
Kadis was reacting to Ignatieff’s appearance on a French-language television program Sunday, in which he said that Israel’s bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana was a war crime. Dozens of civilians died in the attack.
Ironically, the controversy erupted as Ignatieff was attempting to explain a previous gaffe about Qana.
Last summer, Ignatieff was quoted saying that he was “not losing sleep” over the civilian deaths in Qana – an insensitive remark which he later admitted was a mistake.
Kadis condemned Ignatieff’s remarks, echoing concerns by Jewish groups.
She said she found Ignatieff’s “unprovoked comments very troubling,” given that Israel’s attack on Qana was a response to the “brazen kidnapping” of Israeli soldiers and missile attacks by Lebanese-based Hezbollah guerrillas.
“This was an attack intended to root out a recognized terrorist group who were raining down thousands of missiles on Israel,” she said
There’s been other problems as well in the Liberal camp, which come as no surprise to us:
Gerard Kennedy was forced to distance himself from one of his supporters, Toronto MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, who accused Israel of engaging in “state terrorism” and called for Hezbollah to be removed from Canada’s list of terrorist organizations.
Wrzesnewskyj resigned as the party’s associate foreign affairs critic over those remarks.
But Liberals are all over the map on Israel, because as a rule, they are a party without a foundation in principle. They decide issues based on the direction of the wind in the room they are speaking in.
Joe Volpe’s campaign manager, Toronto MP Jim Karygiannis, quit over Volpe’s unwavering defence of Israel.
Related blog entries:
** 65% say Harper comments were fair comments
** Liberal media history re-write attempt #1: HARPER was anti-Israel: Sympatico news
** Just now: Libby Ignatieff makes mockery of himself in public. Media pretends it didn’t happen.
** Liberal Irwin Cotler’s wife quits party?
** Anti-Israel liberal-left elephant: Meet Mr. Harper
** Headline News for October 13 2006 (item two)
** Our Town Square Forums thread started by “Dacre”: Liberals are anti-Israel
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