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July 29, 2005
Israel's envoy is optimistic
Ambassador's word to activists is that they should help, not hinder.
PAT JOHNSON
Canadian activists could be far more effective in creating lasting
Mideast peace if they were less condemnatory and more constructive,
says Israel's ambassador to Canada.
In Vancouver last week, Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker met with representatives
of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, which debated anti-Israel resolutions
at its recent representative assembly. Baker suggested the provincial
teachers' union could play a far more engaging and productive role
if they moved beyond blaming Israel and tried to influence the situation
in a positive way.
"It's unfortunate that such a dynamic body as the teachers'
federation, that can do very useful work in international outreach,
is labelling itself narrowly as an anti-Israel organization,"
Baker said. "They could have adopted a resolution welcoming
the peace process, inviting Palestinian teachers and Israeli teachers
to come to Canada and talk about diversity of culture and how to
deal with stressful situations and different religions. This would
give the B.C. Teachers' Federation a wonderful reputation of being
a genuine peacemaker."
The ambassador had similar advice for the worldwide Anglican Church,
which voted in June to boycott Israeli companies and to side unilaterally
with the Palestinian narrative in the conflict.
"If the Anglican church were to come along and instead of resolving
sanctions against Israel, were to resolve to encourage the Israelis
and Palestinians to come together in all sorts of spheres of inter-religious
harmony and understanding, then they'd be carrying out a far more
positive role," Baker said.
Canadian anti-Israel activists are out of touch with the atmosphere
in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority, according to the ambassador.
As an example, Baker described a discussion he had with a local
Palestinian community activist who called into Bill Good's radio
program on CKNW last week. The caller, Baker said, raised "all
the traditional Palestinian clichés that have been coming
out for the last 15 years, unrelated to the reality that is going
on."
The goal of both the Israelis and the Palestinians, Baker said,
is to overcome "a complete breakdown in mutual trust"
and get back to the bargaining table. Instead, some Canadian activists
are exacerbating the divisions that do exist and should seek guidance
from their "bosses in Ramallah."
"I said, 'speak to your bosses in Ramallah and ask for an update,
because you're obviously not updated with what's happening,' "
Baker recounted. " 'Don't bring up all these old clichés
and things. It's inaccurate. You haven't got your facts right.'
"
The reality, Baker said, is a new Palestinian leadership that is
ready to work with Israel for peace.
"There is a dynamic going on at the moment in the Middle East
between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Baker said. "The
aim is to get back to the negotiations over all of the issues that
are open to be negotiated, the settlements, the refugees, [etc.].
So [for activists] to come now, when things are actually moving,
and bring up arguments that the Palestinians have been bringing
up for the last 20 years, it's unlinked to reality."
The ambassador said activist groups sustain themselves by condemning
his country.
"A lot of these organizations run on a fixed theoretical basis:
Israel has to be delegitimized," he said. "When positive
things are happening in the area, they take away the basis for their
whole existence."
The ambassador takes exception to Canadians who call Israel's defence
barrier an "apartheid wall," a term which Baker said "indicates
a complete ignorance of apartheid and an ignorance of the purpose
of this fence."
Baker said that the fence's routing is legal and also non-binding
on any future border settlement.
"The fence succeeded in reducing terrorism by 90 per cent,"
he said. "If there's no terrorist threat, there's no justification
for the fence."
During a summer when Canadian Jews are watching television scenes
of intra-Jewish conflict in Gaza, Baker said Jews remain united.
"The Jewish community of Canada in some respects reflects the
Jewish community in Israel," Baker said. "There are those
who feel, in the same way, that this is a good move or this is not
a good move."
But the high stakes unite Jews in Canada and Israel, he said.
"There's hardly anyone who doesn't have a family member, a
child or a brother or a grandchild serving in the Israeli army or
living in Israel," Baker said. "It's one big family."
Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.
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