harper's private meeting with israeli envoy ...

Canada Lost Its Honest Broker Status
Hussein Amery, April 09, 2006

{'Repeated requests to have input into the decision-making process and to provide the government with sound advice from Canadians who were concerned for Middle East peace and who have worked hard to improve Canada's image in the region, were ignored. Yet the prime minister did have time to squeeze in Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker a "private meeting" on March 20, just prior to the decision. Since the PMO would not provide any further information concerning what was discussed in the meeting, we are left only to speculate that Mr. Harper told Mr. Baker the "good news" about Canada's policy shift, as he likely did when congratulating Ehud Olmert, the Kadima party leader, the day before the announcement was made to Canadians.'}

Hussein Amery: Canada Lost Its Honest Broker Status

The way the decision itself was made is most troubling. A minority government has made a major foreign policy shift without consulting Parliament.
Hussein Amery, April 9, 2006

Canada’s Conservative government's decision to suspend development assistance to the Palestine Authority (PA) last week was an unprecedented move within the international community. Effectively, the Canadian government severed relations with the Hamas-led PA, just one day after it was sworn in and immediately following the Israeli election.

What could Canada hope to achieve by suspending a mere $7.3 million worth of assistance? On the surface, it appears this drastic measure was aimed at pressuring a near-bankrupt PA into meeting the Quartet's demands--forswearing violence, recognizing Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap for Peace--and to demonstrating the principles of the new government. While the request seems reasonable in nature, how relevant are the demands when the PLO and PA President Mahmoud Abbas had already committed to these three points, and Hamas has declared a cease-fire for the past year?

Beyond these objectives, Canada's decision-makers knew that as relatively small actors they would have little impact beyond arousing anger and creating bewilderment and confusion within the Occupied Territories. From a Palestinian perspective, Canada, which was always seen as a helpful supporter to the peace process and had provided substantial support to the recent elections, was punishing Palestinians for the way they voted.

Not A Neutral 'Honest Broker'

Canada was discarding its much vaunted position as an "honest broker," to follow the Israeli line. Instead of Foreign Minister Peter MacKay's previous declaration that Canada would follow the Quartet's lead, mighty Canada is leading the Quartet.

Earlier at the UN, and further challenging the idea of a neutral Canada, the Conservative government stood alone with the U.S. and Israel in voting against a South African-sponsored UN Resolution supporting the right of return of Palestinian refugee women and children -- something that built on the previous government's policy shifts.

Coming so close to the Cancun Summit, suspicions were aroused that Stephen Harper's government was providing "cover" for the U.S. If "moderate" Canada could make such a decision, the Bush administration could easily make a similar move. Others would surely follow. Not surprisingly, following the swearing in of the Hamas Cabinet, George W. Bush issued a directive to Administration officials banning contact with Hamas. Once again, it is the U.S., Canada and Israel which alone have applied this policy.

The way the decision itself was made is most troubling. A minority government has made a major foreign policy shift without consulting Parliament. None of the relevant NGO or Crown Corporations involved in the program implementation were consulted to identify negative impacts or consequences on Canadians. A Canadian foreign policy grounded in international law and based on a principle of balance and fostering a long-term settlement has been shelved for the foreseeable future, until our demands are met. In response, NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Alexa McDonough "to know how Canada can reconcile its stated goals of supporting and building democracy in Palestine with suspension of direct aid for these important initiatives.... Any net reduction in aid to the Palestinian people is shortsighted and counterproductive."

Harper Met with Israeli Envoy

Repeated requests to have input into the decision-making process and to provide the government with sound advice from Canadians who were concerned for Middle East peace and who have worked hard to improve Canada's image in the region, were ignored. Yet the prime minister did have time to squeeze in Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker a "private meeting" on March 20, just prior to the decision. Since the PMO would not provide any further information concerning what was discussed in the meeting, we are left only to speculate that Mr. Harper told Mr. Baker the "good news" about Canada's policy shift, as he likely did when congratulating Ehud Olmert, the Kadima party leader, the day before the announcement was made to Canadians.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that several specific conditions need to be met for sanctions to be effectively applied, or they may have an inverse effect. By applying these limited sanctions, the Canadian government has caused an entire region to question our motives, and to ask whether we are serious about promoting a peace settlement. A more prudent course would have been to wait and watch the new PA's actions and follow the major powers in their approach. This would have allowed Canada to rest its position within the international community, while promoting moderation.

This may be a taste of things to come in other areas of the world. The Harper government has tacked our foreign policy to the right in the Middle East in order to re-align our approach to international affairs within the foreign affairs-trade-defense-aid continuum applied most notably by the U.S. How this will be played out will be evidenced in the months to come under a Conservative government foreign policy review.

-Hussein Amery is a freelance writer and specialist on Middle East Affairs. editor@embassymag.ca

Suspended Projects

Four operational projects worth $7.34 million over four years are being suspended.

*Housing Rehabilitation and Policy Development (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, PA Ministry of Public Works and Housing and PA Ministry of Finance, $6.3 million, 2005-08)

*Refurbishment and Management of Ramallah Municipal Industrial Park (Federation of Canadian Municipalities, City of Ramallah, $400,000, 2005-07)

*Middle East 4 Meeting (Justice Canada, $600,000, 2005-06)

*English Language Training for Palestinian Security Officials (Canadian Foreign Affairs Department assistance to the PA, $41,000)

Project Restructuring

Canadian officials are taking steps to restructure operational projects on a case-by-case basis to eliminate any PA involvement.

*Judicial Independence and Human Dignity (University of Windsor, BirZeit University and the Palestinian High Judicial Council, $4.5 million, 2005-09)

*Palestinian Municipal Management, Phase 2 (Federation of Canadian Municipalities, municipalities of Rafah and Khan Yunis, PA Ministry of Local Government, $3.2 million, 2003-06)

*Education Capacity Building (UNICEF, $5 million, 2005-06)

*Governance Capacity Project (managed by the Canadian Representative Office in Ramallah, $417,000, 2005-08)

*Child Friendly Cities (UNICEF, $3.5 million, 2004-07).

*Child Wellbeing Phase 2 (Secretariat for the National Plan of Action for Palestinian Children, and the Ministry of Education, $3 million, 2004-07)

*Technical & Vocational Training for Palestinian Women (World University Services of Canada, Alternatives, PA Ministry of Social Affairs, $3.8 million, 2002-06)

*Middle East Capacity Building Fund ($500,000, 2005-07)

Continuing Activities

Canada will continue to provide humanitarian and development assistance that does not benefit the PA.

*UNRWA humanitarian support for Palestinian refugees, including support for microcredit, job creation and shelter rehabilitation ($12 million, 2005-07), refugee camp upgrading ($6.5 million, 2003-06), management reform ($129,000, 2006), and refugee record systems development ($1.2 million, 2004-08).

*Palestine Trade Centre ($5 million, multi year)

*Provision of Border Management Expertise ($500,000, 2005-07)

*Expert Advisory Services Fund (International Development Research Centre, $5 million, 2001-07)

*Scholarship fund for Palestinian Refugee Women (International Development Research Centre, UNRWA, $1.5 million, 2000-09)