When Stephen Harper visits Israel this weekend, he will likely make a stop at Canada Park, opened by John Diefenbaker in 1975 and completed in 1984.
Twenty-two years ago, CBC's Fifth Estate aired the powerful program above on the origins of Canada Park, built on top of three Palestinian villages bulldozed by the Israeli army and paid for by 15 million dollars in Canadian donations to the Jewish National Fund who continue to maintain upkeep of the park.
Harper announced his intention to visit Israel from the Jewish National Fund's annual Negev fundraiser in Toronto in December, where he performed various songs onstage for the crowd and was honoured with having the Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre in Israel named after him.
Perhaps one day Canada will have a Bibi Netanyahu Bird Sanctuary in the Alberta tarsands.
In his speech at the Negev Dinner last month, Harper stated :
"... how easy it is to drift away from Israel. We understand that the future of our country and of our shared civilization depends on the survival and thriving of that free and democratic homeland for the Jewish people in the Middle East."An Israeli soldier, who as a young man took reluctant part in driving the 10,000 Palestinians from their homes on the land now occupied by Canada Park, sees our interference differently. Quoted from the CBC show above :
"I think it's a very stupid idea on the part of those Canadian people who helped calling this park Canada Park. It's no business of any Canadian to intervene in a disputed issue. The land of Palestine is disputed between two peoples and let us not call any park Canada or Japan before peace is settled."Jun 19 Update : Of the 208 members of Harper's taxpayer-paid entourage enroute to the Steve 'n Bibi show in Israel, at least seven are from the Jewish National Fund.
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12 comments:
For lack of a better term, "amen" to the Israeli soldier's comment, Alison . . . .
The photo op of stevie appearing sombre while touring Canada Park later this month will have a whole new meaning now thanks to your post . . . .
At the JNF fundraiser, Harper sat at the keyboard
and sang "Hey Jude".
"Jude" is the German word for "Jew".
Is it just me, or is that just weird?
Harper's position was clear 8 years ago when Israel repeatedly bombed a clearly marked UN post in Lebanon killing a Canadian peacekeeper and Harper told them not to worry about it.
Anon 12:11, every time I remember that incident, I just want slug Harper in the face before marching him to a jail cell. That peacekeeper had just prior to that bombing started an informative blog about events in the middle east from a peacekeeper's perspective. Harper treated his death like garbage, not even worthy of an apology or even official acknowledgement, let alone any flag at half mast or dignitaries at his funeral.
Anon, BY :
An article in the G&M today, Harper: More pro-Israel than Israel itself links to Canadian Army Major Paeta Hess-von Kruedener: The Untold Story Of A Canadian Peacekeeper Killed At War, written a year ago.
Also a year ago Charles P. Pierce wrote A Strange Story From North of the Border :
"The Canadian government opened an investigation into the events and, in 2008, that investigation made public its report, which concluded that the deaths were preventable, and which faulted the Israeli military for the deaths of the four UN observers."
but that
"DND confirmed it had removed the board of inquiry report from its website in early 2009 for security reasons"
Mugabe and Noxon have trees side by side at Rideau Hall.
Nixon, of course I meant.
Ray Blessin : Ok here's one for you.
An hour ago, after Harper was presented with the key to the Knesset, the Speaker quoted the lyrics of Hey Jude to Harper.
Saskboy : I did not know that.
Former Harper-appointed head of SIRC, Dr Arthur Porter, had biz dealings with Israeli spy and arms dealer Ari Ben-Menashe of Montreal, who also represented Mugabe.
Ray : And another - Steve singing Hey Jude to Bibi in Israel.
Alison @ 2:03 pm:
Gag me with a fu_king spoon.
Greetings from "drf," BTW . . . .
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