‘A Poilievre-led government would be largely a reintroduction of the foreign policy of Stephen Harper.’
Since Israel began its brutal attack on Gaza last October, public opinion in Canada has shifted toward sympathy for the Palestinians, with 50 per cent of Canadians believing Israel’s war has been too “heavy handed,” according to pollster Angus Reid.
At the same time, poll after poll points to Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, a life-long supporter of Israel, winning the next federal election with a comfortable majority, thanks in large part to a range of domestic issues far removed from Israel’s war on Gaza.
Despite the shift in public opinion in regards to Israel’s conduct, Poilievre has shown little sympathy toward those who care about protecting Palestinians.
After Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, Poilievre joined a chorus of other political leaders in expressing unconditional support for Israel, declaring that “Israel has the right to defend itself against these attacks and respond against the attackers.” During a campaign stop in British Columbia, he laid the blame for the carnage that Israel had already inflicted on Gaza in the immediate aftermath solely at the feet of Hamas, which he called “a sadistic, genocidal, terrorist death cult [that] must be stopped.”
During a speech in Parliament on October 16, Poilievre acknowledged that “the suffering of the Palestinian people is a tragedy” and that “all of us must do everything in our power to preserve this precious life and minimize the suffering of innocent civilians.” But the Conservative leader avoided any call for Israel to exercise restraint, and again placed the blame for Palestinian suffering entirely on Hamas’ shoulders, insisting that the group “seeks the maximum suffering of Palestinians as well.”
The Conservative leader expressed support for a “two-state solution,” but said “stability and security for the Israeli people are necessary for that to happen,” with no reference to Palestinians deserving similar assurances as a precondition for any such negotiations. (more...)
Pierre Poilievre’s Incoming War On Support For Palestine
No comments:
Post a Comment