| http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=2E3F9F35-CBC4-4841-8FC7-B66D4DBF9B2D
Canada backs condemnation of Israel Liberal MP rebukes government for accepting 'one-sided' motion � Mike Trickey, with files from Joan Bryden The Ottawa Citizen Thursday, December 06, 2001 The federal government came under fire again yesterday from opposition and Liberal MPs after Canada supported an international declaration condemning Israel for Geneva Convention violations in the occupied territories without mentioning Palestinian attacks in Israel. The declaration, based on the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention guaranteeing civilian rights in wartime, calls on "the Occupying Power to immediately refrain from ... wilful killing, torture and unlawful deportation." The Chr�tien government's Middle East policies faced renewed attack as the statement was adopted by consensus yesterday by the majority of signatory nations to the Fourth Geneva Convention. The United States, Australia and Israel boycotted the meeting, an action that Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and Canadian Alliance foreign affairs critic Brian Pallister thought Canada should also have taken. "Canada should not participate in any meeting that undermines the integrity of international humanitarian law and that undermines the integrity of the United Nations and their lead offices," said Mr. Cotler, who is an internationally known human rights lawyer. "I've looked at the draft declaration and in my view it is one-sided. It is critical only of Israel." "I'm not saying you can't be critical of Israel, and I'm not saying Israel should not be held to account for any violations that it commits," Mr. Cotler said. "But in the light of the horrific terrorist attacks of this past weekend, to single out Israel for differential and discriminatory treatment in holding parties to account and appearing to give, thereby, the Palestinian authorities exculpatory immunity is not a fair and even-handed way of looking at the problem." Mr. Pallister said the "spineless" Canadian position will only encourage terrorism. "It defies logic. The prime minister refused to condemn (Palestinian leader) Yasser Arafat for harbouring terrorists, and now the government supports a resolution condemning Israel for defending itself." Mr. Pallister also again ripped the government for refusing to add the charitable arm of Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations. "The sole purpose of Hamas is to destroy Israel. The organization uses charitable work as a public relations tool ... to generate sympathy for its terrorist cause and even to run kindergartens for terrorists. The prime minister says that is OK, but Canadians know it is not OK." Canada has followed the British lead in designating the Hamas military wing as terrorist, but not making the same judgment about its charitable arms. In Geneva, Canadian delegate Chris Westdahl said Canadians were outraged by the weekend attacks in Jerusalem and Haifa, saying "there could be no justification" for the actions. He said Canada had remained at the Fourth Geneva Convention conference despite "serious concerns" over attempts to politicize the process. "We believe that declarations which single out one of the parties to the conflict are more detrimental than ever to the diplomatic process." Mr. Westdahl said Canada accepts that the convention applies to the occupied territories, and Canada supported adopting the declaration on that basis. However, he emphasized that Canada did not believe a contentious paragraph in the declaration being held up by Arab states as an indictment of Israeli behaviour was meant to condemn Israel. "In Canada's view, that paragraph reaffirms applicable rules of international law ... and calls on Israel not to violate these obligations, but does not constitute an assessment of whether these rules have been violated by Israel." He said Israel should apply the convention to the occupied territories, "and the Palestinian Authority should also ensure respect for universal principles of international humanitarian law, including for the protection of Israeli civilians." The Middle East also featured in a brief telephone conversation between Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien and U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday. The two "compared notes on the Middle East and Afghanistan" when Mr. Bush called the prime minister by phone at 10:15 a.m. to thank Canada for its continuing co-operation, a spokesman for Mr. Chr�tien said. In the 15-minute conversation, Mr. Bush also talked of how Canada could be "a secure source of energy" for the United States and the leaders discussed the softwood lumber dispute and the need to improve trade flow across the border. Mr. Chr�tien mentioned that he had been in New York last weekend for the Canadian rally in support of the city and Mr. Bush said "that was great," according to the official. |
