Isreal, Canada and the US says no!

[Guest American Woman]

Why? It's not by any stretch a given that this is "support for Israel" in a meaningful sense--since it's not self-evident that the Palestinian move is bad for Israel.

Harper is "supporting" the wishes of the Israeli government, and perhaps intentionally aligning Canada with the American position...possibly for reasons made clear in my sig line.

It's not as if it's likely meant as some sort of moral position; I would never totally rule such a thing out, but I don't see it as the norm in international relations, so I'm doubtful.

I don't have sig lines displayed, so I don't know what yours says, but I think it's a good thing because Harper is taking a strong stance, not just 'abstaining' from giving Palestine support, so to speak. At any rate, Harper has been very supportive of Israel, so I'm not just referring to this one incident. Israel perceives Canada as one of its top supporters, so why do you think that is, if it's not true?

Edited December 5, 2012 by American Woman

[bleeding heart]

I don't have sig lines displayed, so I don't know what yours says,

It's a remark by a former Foreign Minister who felt that Canada has, at an official capacity, a weak-kneed tendency to toadying to the "political masters in Washington." Whether he's correct, I don't know.

At any rate, Harper has been very supportive of Israel, so I'm not just referring to this one incident. Israel perceives Canada as one of its top supporters, so why do you think that is, if it's not true?

I think Presidents and Prime Ministers make such comments with promiscuous impunity, and I pay them little heed.

Besides, it can just as well be argued that "supporting Israel" means rejecting some of its behaviour. When I criticize Canada's support of the overthrow of an elected leader in Haiiti, and his replacement by a bunch of thugs friendly to the North American/France aliiance, that doesn't mean I am not "supporting Canada."

Further, an argument can be cogently made that those who defend this behaviour do not "support Canada," since it can have deleterious effects on our standing, our respect, and our stated principles.

In the current situation, "supporting Israel" does not have to mean supporting its decisions; it can mean opposing them.

Edited December 5, 2012 by bleeding heart

[WIP]

Have you ever looked at a map of the area? Settlement in E1 does not cut the West Bank in half. In fact, the West Bank is still just as wide at its narrowest point as Israel itself is.

Bullshit! I'm looking at the full resolution map of the West Bank from 2006, and it's almost completely separated the north from the south without having to travel through Israeli checkpoints. Not to mention that the map shows the degree to which Israel has become an apartheid state, just like South Africa. Since the 1967 War, Israel hasn't made a decision between remaining a democratic state, or a Jewish state that subjugates half of the population....so like South Africa, they pretend to be both Jewish and democratic, and create a bunch of little Bantustans to pen the local Palestinian populations into, until they can all be coerced or intimidated to leave, and never have the right to return....just like East Jerusalem!

[Bonam]

Bullshit! I'm looking at the full resolution map of the West Bank from 2006, and it's almost completely separated the north from the south without having to travel through Israeli checkpoints.

Do you know where E1 is? On your map, it's the little strip just east of Jerusalem between what is labeled "Zayem" and "Shufat", linking up to the other large settlement shown on the map just east of there. That is all the extra land that is being built on as part of the recent settlement controversy. It by no means cuts the West Bank in half.