Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has spoken on behalf of the Conservative government in regards to Canada’s position on the conflict. In a statement released on December 27, Cannon said: “Israel has a clear right to defend itself against the continued rocket attacks by Palestinian militant groups which have deliberately targeted civilians.” He urged both sides to create conditions that would allow humanitarian aide to be accessed by those who need it in Gaza but insisted that “first and foremost those rocket attacks must stop”.
Israel’s attacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip began on December 26, and escalated into a ground offensive on January 3. The number of Palestinians killed and injured continues to grow each day. According to BBC News, at least 683 have been killed and more than 3,085 injured.
Forty people were killed and 55 were injured yesterday (January 6) when Israeli mortar fire struck the UN-run al-Fakhura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Canada’s junior foreign minister, Peter Kent, commented on the strike in an interview this week with the Globe and Mail, stating that Hamas “bears the full responsibility for the deepening humanitarian tragedy”. Despite the lack of information available from Gaza, due to an Israeli ban on journalists entering the war-torn territory, Kent insisted that Hamas is the root cause of the civilian fatalities.
“We really don’t have complete details yet, other than the fact that we know that Hamas has made a habit of using civilians and civilian infrastructure as shields for their terrorist activities, and that would seem to be the case again today,” he said.
Some members of Parliament have not been as quick to blame Hamas for the deaths. In an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper dated yesterday, Vancouver East MP Libby Davies urged the Canadian government to condemn the attacks and demand an immediate ceasefire.
“The lack of leadership from the Canadian government is shameful in the face of such events,” Davies stated.
Davies said she has received many messages from her constituents who were “outraged that Canada has done nothing”.
The Foreign Affairs Department had tried to help 36 Canadians leave the region on January 5, but the Israeli Defence Force, which controls movement in the area, stopped the operation. Speaking after a government caucus meeting, Cannon stated that security measures prevented them from helping those who wanted to return to Canada safely, according to the Canadian Press.
Today, Canada donated $4 million toward the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, giving $3 million to the United Nations relief effort and another $1 million to the Red Cross, according to CP.
The leader of the Opposition, Michael Ignatieff, also released a statement concurring with the view of the Conservatives and the majority of western politicians.
“The Liberal Party of Canada unequivocally condemns the rocket attacks launched by Hamas against Israeli civilians and calls for an immediate end to their attacks,” Ignatieff stated on December 29.
He called for Canada to provide humanitarian aid but held firm on his stance that Israel has the right to defend itself against the attacks.
As of today, no official statements have been made by Harper on the matter, who has remained quiet on the conflict in Gaza.
However, Harper found time to express congratulations to Canada’s World Junior Hockey team in two separate news releases on the Conservative Party of Canada Web site.” http://www.straight.com/article-179114/canadian-leaders-back-israel-harper-stays-silent-gaza
“THE CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE, Update from Dr. Benedict – By Gary M. Benedict – August 16, 2007 I recently joined other evangelical leaders in signing a letter to President Bush concerning peace in the Middle East. The letter represents my personal conviction and does not represent the official position of The Alliance or the Board of Directors of the C&MA. The Christian and Missionary Alliance has been ministering in the Arab lands since 1890. For more than 110 years, we have been working among Israelis and Palestinians. We are seeking to fulfill Jesus’ Commission to take the gospel to people in all nations. The letter I signed encourages President Bush to continue to pursue a peaceful solution to the conflict in the region. We are instructed in the Bible to “seek peace and pursue it,” yet I understand that the only true and lasting peace will come when the Prince of Peace returns. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and that many will find the peace that passes all understanding through Jesus. We share a common concern for peace in the region and the commitment to obey Jesus’ command to spread the gospel to all people. May God be pleased to reach many and bring glory to our Lord. Living the Call together, Gary M. Benedict President U.S. C&MA ” http://www.cmalliance.org/peaceLetter.jsp
Also in Reality Conservatives need firstly to practice peaceful coexistence in Canada! . In my 20 years of posting on the net in Canada the biggest immoral human rights violators, abusers have been the Conservatives of Alberta who clearly do not tolerate free speech, the difference of views, and they next tend to lie about, slander, delete unwanted non conforming posters who do not go along with their too often immoral, redneck views. http://thenonconformer.blogspot.com/2006/08/non-conformer.html
Like I had posted on the net a long time ago too “Reality In my 20 years of posting on the net in Canada the biggest immoral human rights violators, abusers have been the Conservatives of Alberta who clearly do not tolerate free speech, the difference of views, and they next tend to lie about, slander, delete unwanted non conforming posters who do not go along with their too often immoral, redneck views. – Here is a great example of what the Democratic Conservatives are really still like in Canada.. They still do immorally, wrongfully delete all my posts at http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/index.php and their clearly hypocritical pretense of freedom of speech is appalling All the BS about democracy, still next indicates that the Conservatives are the biggest liars and abusers of other’s human rights. Simply just try to post disagreeing messages on the Conservative sites such as http://canadiancoalition.com/forum/ccd-forum.shtml or the Western Standard Blog http://westernstandard.blogs.com dominated by a minority of self centered, abusive rednecks and you for sure next will be firstly abused, slandered, personally bashed, attacked and next cut off, denied access to it. The self proclaimed Conservatives posters there in Alberta are still some of the biggest liars, human rights abusers even if they lie and claim they are Christians now too. It has been that way for the last 25 years in my real Albertan experiences now too. Even an Ostrich cannot hide from the realties of life forever. When you access the supposed free speech, democratic site of http://canadiancoalition.com/forum/ccd-forum.shtml the sysop accesses your own personal computer to find all of the personal information about you, an unlawful invasion of privacy without ones prior permission, and this the federal Conservative government and it’s Justice Minister, the RCMP should look into. The same sysop who himself is not impartial, but another one of these self proclaimed Conservative supporter, a basher and abuser, who makes slanderous personal attacks on the posters rather than deal with the facts presented, he even has admitted to spying now on others in one of his post too. I rightfully would like Alberta’s human rights also to review these matters too as well as the Justice department PS He had deleted my reply to him on this on him being an unlawful voyeur and other messages that were unfavorable to Alberta and it’s hypocritical democracy. I clearly had supported the Western Standard right of printing the cartoons under their right of free speech. But now I personally find out that their Internet site deliberately not only promotes hatred towards Canada, specially easterners but in an unfair and undemocratic process it deletes the unfavorable messages, towards Alberta too, such as this own below. This is both hypocritical and unacceptable on their parts. Please do Deal with it properly now. ” Western Standard’s invasion of other people’s computer is an illegal invasion of one’s personal privacy. – Comcast High-Speed Internet Acceptable Use Policy http://www.comcast.net/terms/use.jsp .. we will “access any other person’s computer or computer system, software, or data without their knowledge and consent; breach the security of another user; or attempt to circumvent the user authentication or security of any host, network, or account. This includes, but is not limited to, accessing data not intended for you, logging into or making use of a server or account you are not expressly authorized to access, or probing the security of other hosts, networks, or accounts; ” Scary scary stuff. Let the Alberta Human rights commissioner, Justice department also know that know this is illegal now for the other parties did not consent to this in writing. ” http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2006/03/an_immense_and_.html# Clearly here too the Conservatives are still the big hypocrites who themselves do not keep the laws they preach to the others. ” http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2006/03/alberta_leaders.html#comment-15217299 ” and next July it will be the Conservative Stephen Harper’s turn to lose face and face a reelection, and likely only another minority government.” http://thenonconformer.blogspot.com/2006/08/non-conformer.html
So why is it some people still do think they can get away with any of it when clearly they cannot.
The non conformer's Canadian Weblog 