Login / RegisterWhen B'nai Brith Canada issues a news release about NDP caucus, here are things to keep in mind
Yesterday, B'nai Brith Canada sent out a notice accusing the federal NDP caucus of "anti-Israel sentiment". That created a lot of chatter on this website.
The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, a 2010 book by Canadian journalist Marci McDonald, helps provide some context into why the organization's CEO, Frank Dimant, might do something like this.
In the book, McDonald describes how during the 1990s, B'nai Brith, Canada's oldest Jewish organization, was "increasingly sidelined by a band of wealthy Jewish tycoons, led by Onex chairman Gerry Schwartz, once a leading fundraiser for the Liberal Party".
Part of the reason, according to McDonald, was that Dimant opposed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, which contradicted Canadian policy during the years when the country was ruled by Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.
"While Schwartz and company represented the Jewish intellectual and corporate elite, B'nai Brith's constituency had shrunk to the most conservative and orthodox segments of the community—what Dimant likes to call 'the Jewish street'," McDonald writes. "As Schwartz and his wife, Heather Reisman, were hailed as glittering jet-setters, bringing the heady scent of Hollywood to Liberal backrooms, Dimant sought out his own ideological soulmates: first, Reform Party founder Preston Manning, later Stockwell Day."
Later, Dimant became Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's "chief interlocutor with the Jewish community", McDonald writes.
"Not only did B'nai Brith's right-wing membership share evangelicals' concerns about such issues as same-sex marriage, he and Harper felt a kinship as outsiders," she notes.
Is it any wonder that nowadays, Dimant is firing missives off to the media denouncing the NDP caucus?
Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.
“You can be an ardent supporter of a country and say that something that they’re doing in that case has to be changed. But it doesn’t mean you’re not a supporter of the country. You have to be very careful with those words. What I’m saying is I’m not going to use my opposition to something that they’re doing as an excuse to call for an end to the state of Israel, which is what some of the adversaries of Israel do”, said Frenchy recently.
Apparently Frenchy can see his way through illegal settlements and deportations and all those pesky UN resolutions and pretty much everything they have said and done since Day 1, to get to a best pals of Canada and our values conclusion. A real politician he is.
Does anyone have enough guts to call him out on the flagrant double-talk? Seems that everyone runs for the hills when threatened with the potential anti-Semite label from the Semites.
And the so-called peace process? There is no question that the state of Israel has a right to exist and to be able to live without fear of terrorist attacks along its borders. The same can be said about the right of Palestinian people to have their own state where they can live in peace. However, Netanyahu and his cronies have absolutely no interest in any sort of peace agreement, despite any empty statements to the contrary.
It is well past the time for Israel's friends to make it plain that their support is not unconditional and then take appropriate action when Israel crosses the line in its treatment of Palestinians. If B'nai B'rith, and the Stephen Harper government for that matter, want to be seen as credible on the subject of Israel they must take that approach.
As for the accusations that he is not pro Israel "enough"... Good God, don't these organizations have better, more important things to worry about or release statements on? I mean really, when is anyone going to tell them to get a life already. A week or two ago on the National Post website, I came across an entire article dedicated to lamenting the fact that he was Thomas Mulclair is allegedly just not pro Israel enough, unlike our pathetic PM, who is groupie #1 - as we all know.
Hello people, time to acknowledge how absurd this is. If it was any other country, we would collectively, loudly and rightfully laugh at hearing people like Stephen Harper and John Baird say hilarious things like Canada and Israel share the same values and commitment to human rights! I mean, seriously.
Anyone want to remind these organizations that been uncritically, unconditionally Israel apologists to the point of attacking any comment even perceived to be critical of Israel's actions, policies -let alone, abuses- that home demolitions and land confiscation (theft) from Palestinians for redistribution to Jewish only illegal settlements has drastically increased in recent months?
Perhaps they could also mention a few of the items on the very long list of outrageous abuses, discrimination and institutionalized racism both in Israel proper and in the occupied territories? I'd be happy to suggest a few, starting with the blocking of critical humanitarian aid from entry into the territories, to the water being diverted to Israel and the settlements, to fill swimming pools and water green lawns, as Palestinians have access to less water than the absolute minimum recommended, and often even that amount is contaminated, making many children as well as adults sick.
Or the frequent night raids, arrests and prolonged detention of minors without any charges or fair judicial process, which doesn't really scream "we care about human rights" to me.
Neither do the incidents such as the recent video where settlers are seen invading a Palestinian village, setting fire to trees and then shooting a Palestinian in the head all while a soldier is seen standing beside the shooter, doing absolutely nothing to stop him. The soldier is there to protect the settlers, not Palestinians - this could not be any clearer.
Also in the news last week: attacks on refugees in Israel. Racist, hateful public comments by members of the government, referring to refugees as infiltrators, calling for
As for Mulcaire, one of his less attractive qualities is his pro-Zionist, pro-occupation position. If he were really smart, he'd rethink that position, now that he's being criticized for not being pro-Israel enough. B'nai Brith's attack on him is to be expected: it's not enough merely to be pro-Israel; you have to be a slobbering sycophant if you want to pass the pro-Israel test.
For example, just look at what right-wing Israel Firsters are doing to Peter Beinart in the US. Beinart's book *The Crisis of Zionism* stands as proof of Beinart's devotion to Israel, yet it's not in lockstep with Bibi Netanyahu and Avidor Liebermann; therefore, the book has yet to have anything but ruinous reviews in the American mainstream media.
It used to be tough to be a critic of Israel policy. Now it's even tougher to be a supporter.
To make his point, perhaps, Charlie Smith should have used a more credible and unbiased source.
McDonald surely isn't a bearer of truth!!
If Marci MacDonald is a "shrill and discredited anti-Israel and
anti-Christian activist" That's quite a mix; both anti Israel and
Christian activism -wow, And she's discredited too, eh? Her shilling is that credited shilling? She points out the hidden from public by the good old main stream media facts of Harper's very un-Canadian values religious beliefs- and the
I'll do anything for power government, and she's the shill.What the hell? Maybe she's opposite views from yours, but Harper is a monster that's destroying what used to be a nice little country. Good for her.
Free the First Nations.
Le Journal de Montreal will not publish any of my comments unless they are pro-establishment or do not conflict with any of the Paper's point of view. So I have been barred from posting comments and so is the same for some of my friends. Hats of for the Straight.