Canada’s left-leaning parties, including the Liberals and Greens, have been losing the battle when it comes to political support for Israel. The New Democratic Party, however, is coming mightily close to losing the war.
The NDP has long suffered from what can be best described as an “Israel problem.” While social democrats claim to support this country’s right to exist and defend its borders, the pro-Palestinian tilt in some statements have been impossible to mask. This includes former MP Svend Robinson’s offensive comments, and the disgraceful remarks of current MP Libby Davies.
Jack Layton and Thomas Mulcair, the past two NDP leaders, have attempted to neutralize the party’s political message on Israel by muzzling some of its more radical voices. Alas, the lunatic fringe often seems to greatly outnumber its sensible moderates.
Meanwhile, some NDP MPs are beginning to have personal problems with Israel. So much so that they’re willing to cut the cord and escape the dreams of a socialist Xanadu.
Consider the case of Sana Hassainia. The Montreal-based MP, who was first elected as part of the NDP’s orange wave in 2011, recently quit the caucus to sit as an Independent. Why? According to her blog, “My decision to leave the NDP was precipitated, among other things, by the party’s positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Hassainia apparently felt Mulcair was too pro-Israel. That’s quite the plot twist, don’t you think? Yet, aside from the NDP leader’s nuanced position that Israel has the right to protect its citizens from Hamas’ rockets, I’m not sure how she reached this conclusion. (The two sides are also at odds about her poor attendance record and missed votes in the House of Commons.)
This act of defiance must have privately pleased some hardcore leftists. As the party’s former national director Gerald Caplan wrote in his Globe and Mail article on Aug. 8, “Israel’s shameful attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza demands once again that politics must bow to principles. That’s why it’s so disappointing that the federal NDP has failed to denounce unambiguously and forcefully Israel’s war on Gaza and the innocent people that live there.” While Caplan obviously doesn’t speak for the NDP, it’s doubtful many of today’s New Democrats disagreed with him.
It’s also worth mentioning the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)’s recent trip to Israel included three Tory MPs (Randy Hoback, Ted Opitz, David Sweet), two Liberal MPs (Carolyn Bennett, John McCallum) and a Liberal Senator (Grant Mitchell).
Where was Canada’s Official Opposition representative, pray tell? Oh, that’s right – the party refused to go. An unnamed senior NDPer told the CBC, “In the current context, only a mission organized by a neutral organization would be appropriate.”
That’s a fascinating observation, except for one little problem: There’s no such thing as a neutral organization. Every group has a partisan purpose and an agenda.
Hence, all the NDP had to do was go on CIJA’s fact-finding mission, and propose that an Arab/Muslim organization do the same thing for Palestine. Few Canadians would have objected to this even-handed approach, and the party would have won many brownie points.
Instead, the NDP’s decision to boycott this trip made them look foolish, one-sided and, like it or not, anti-Israel.
Even so, I strongly doubt New Democrats are terribly concerned about this. They realize that 52 per cent of Canadian Jews voting for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Tories in the 2011 federal election wasn’t solely based on a one-trick pony (i.e. support for Israel). Small “c” conservative principles such as limited government, lower taxes and fiscal prudence, combined with a robust foreign policy, are clearly winning over many Jewish hearts and minds.
Hence, their political strategy has changed. Not only when it comes to the Middle East, but also voting demographics and target groups. If you think that includes Canadian Jews, you’re sadly mistaken.