One Canadian Paper Stands For Israel

[Annie]

http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Commentary/2006/06/29/pf-1659181.html

June 29, 2006
EDITORIAL: It's time to stand with Israel

The Toronto conference of the United Church yesterday joined the Ontario division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees in calling for economic sanctions against Israel and a boycott of the Jewish state to protest its policies in the Palestinian territories.

Basically, both are calling on Canadians to choose sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Fair enough. We choose Israel, which cannot be expected to negotiate with a Palestinian government led by Hamas, a terrorist group whose founding charter calls not only for the destruction of Israel, but for the annihilation of the Jewish people.

Further, we urge Prime Minister Stephen Harper to continue Canada's sensible policy of refusing to recognize Hamas and denying it foreign aid until it unequivocally recognizes Israel's right to exist and renounces terrorism.

Like Harper, we support the creation of an independent Palestinian state living in peace beside a secure Israel.

But that has never been Hamas' goal. Hamas, according to its 1988 founding charter, envisions all of Israel as the new Palestinian state, either rid of all Jews or with only a handful allowed to remain, subject to hardline Islamic rule.

This week, Israeli military forces reoccupied Gaza, demanding the safe return of a 19-year-old soldier kidnapped by several terrorist groups, including the armed wing of Hamas. By reoccupying Gaza, which it withdrew from last year after dismantling numerous Israeli settlements, Israel is not "overreacting" to the abduction of one soldier.

It is sending a message to Hamas -- in the only language it understands -- that it will not allow the Palestinian territories to be used as a staging ground for attacks against Israel.

In response, Hamas has signed a deal with its main political rival in the Palestinian territories, the Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which Fatah insists means Hamas has tacitly recognized Israel's right to exist.

But Hamas says the deal -- meant to entice the international community into funding the Hamas-led government -- means no such thing.

In other words, Hamas will continue to attack not just Israeli military targets, but civilians through terrorist attacks, usually carried out by suicide bombers.

As long as this is Hamas' position, it is Hamas, not Israel, that should be boycotted by the civilized world.