Stamp out ignorance

Editorial

Israel-haters barely waited till the ink was dry on the recent commemorative stamp issued jointly by Canada Post and Israel Post to use it as an excuse to spew antisemitic venom.

The stamp depicts a red maple leaf and a blue Star of David, both comprised of human figures, meeting in the middle. According to Canada Post, it celebrates “Canada’s strong bilateral relationship with Israel – a friendship that spans six decades and is marked by shared values, common interests and strong political, economic, cultural and social ties.”

However, some CP employees allegedly have taken to hiding the stamp. According to Montreal Gazette columnist Sheila Trestan, who attempted to purchase one, “The woman behind the counter scowled and said she had no idea what I was talking about.” The clerk located a co-worker, who admitted that the stamp existed, but said, “We didn’t want to display it in our cabinet; after all, we were concerned how people would feel about that.”

For its part, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, as represented by its national president, Denis Lemelin, is, among other things, “puzzled about the concept of shared values with a country that has consistently ignored United Nations and World Court decisions in regards to the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.”

Charles Verge, past-president of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, complained about the “political” nature of the stamp to Canadian Stamp News, apparently unaware that, while infrequent, Canada Post has joint-issued other stamps celebrating diplomatic relationships: for example, in 2009, 80 years of Canada/Japan diplomatic relations; in 2005, the 35th anniversary of Canada’s establishment of formal diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China.

As well, since this type of political move – the issuance of a stamp – requires the approval of a national board of advisers and selection criteria, Verge casts aspersions on the selection process. “It is unlikely that the committee, left to its own devices, would have approved of such a stamp,” he wrote, implying that the Harper administration’s unambiguous friendship with Israel resulted in shady behind-the-stamp dealings. This view ignores the continuous support of Israel by Conservative and Liberal federal governments. (As Shimon Koffler Fogel of the Canada-Israel Committee points out, it was Jean Chrétien who “established a free trade agreement with Israel – the first between Canada and any country outside North America.”)

Verge also wondered why other relationships had not been similarly celebrated, such as those with Colombia, Iran, Cuba, Indonesia, Uruguay, Egypt, Haiti, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia or Nigeria, all “more acceptable 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relationships” stamps that could have been issued in the last decade. Seriously? That homosexuality is illegal in nearly every one of those countries might be worth celebrating in some people’s minds. Perhaps for Lebanon we could celebrate the increasing influence of Hezbollah? Egypt’s democracy-sacrificing internecine struggle against dictatorship and the Muslim Brotherhood could be stamp worthy, or Iran’s nuclear efforts.

Less veiled antisemitic criticism of the diplomatic friendship stamp is all over the Internet. For example, concern about Canada’s association with “the ultimate religiously racist, self-worshipping, rogue, international-law-breaking, murdering, genocidal, ecocidal and terrorist bastard state of Israel,” where, “[u]nlike all other countries, Israel has no acceptance or tolerance to other religions. Although supremacist Judaism is tolerated and Jews are permitted free worship in every Christian and Moslem [sic] country, even in Iran, falsely accused of being fanatic Islamic, Arab Christians and Moslems [sic] are harshly rejected, persecuted, and equally ethnically cleansed in ‘Jewish-only Israel.’”

This gem also claims, “Moses was the most genocidal figure in the history of mankind.... Israel is the most antisemitic country. Arabs are Semites, while the majority of Israeli Jews are Khazars and Germanic....” This writer eventually concludes, “With such criminal history, I ask descent [sic] Canadians whether they really want to associate themselves with such a terrorist state and become a terrorist-sponsoring country,” and urges “peace-loving people” to express their disappointment about “such a shameful postal stamp” by writing to Canada Post.

But Canada Post has stood strong. Spokesperson John Caines has said that CUPW’s opinion does not reflect that of Canada Post and that, “The stamp has been issued. It’s out. It’s just their reaction, it’s got no impact on the stamp at all.”

And the government, too, has not wavered. In Parliament, MP Pierre Poilievre (Nepean-Carleton) said, “Unfortunately, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has opposed this wonderful initiative and has singled out Israel for unfounded and unfair criticism. I rise today to point out that the Union of Postal Workers is in fact wrong. Israel is our friend and our ally, and no prime minister in Canadian history has been more loyal and more supportive of Israel, especially in the war against terrorism. Our shared interests make us allies. Our shared values make us friends. Our shared history makes us proud.”

Hear, hear! Now go buy some stamps.

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