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Israels staunchest ally: Stephen Harper has transformed Canadas Mideast policy
Toronto Sun ^ | September 26, 2012 | Lorrie Goldstein
Back in 2006, Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of Bnai Brith, caused a considerable stir when he described Canadas then-new prime minister, Stephen Harper, as the answer to the Jewish communitys prayers. Controversial because not all Jews are Conservative supporters. Indeed, historically, the default party for most Canadian Jews has been the Liberals. In addition, Harper, both in 2006 and to an even greater extent today, is a more ardent supporter of Israel than many Canadian Jews.
Or, more accurately, Harper is more comfortable with the hardline policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on everything from confronting a nuclear Iran to maintaining Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. But even with those qualifiers, Dimants remarks in praise of Harper at a Bnai Brith dinner in Toronto almost six years ago where Harper was treated by the audience like a rock star ring even truer today .
To many Canadian Jews, Harper is widely admired as the most unequivocally pro-Israel prime minister Canada has ever had, abandoning what his political, media and diplomatic critics describe as Canadas historically more nuanced position in the Mideast as an honest broker, working primarily through the United Nations.
On Wednesday, which was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Harper government again bolstered its standing among many Canadian Jews, when Canadas delegation to the UN walked out of a speech at the General Assembly by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who described Israelis as uncivilized Zionists.
Israels staunchest ally: Stephen Harper has transformed Canadas Mideast policy
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUfFdhIOoQM]Canadian PM: I Will Defend Israel 'whatever the cost' - YouTube[/ame]