(Calgary Herald-Canada) Editorial - The UN has a long and ugly history of contempt for Israel, so showing up for peace negotiations armed with its imprimatur will not do Abbas and his government the slightest good. The same goes for their transparent attempts to use the UN to pressure Israel into concessions. Israel is accustomed to pariah status and is not about to wilt in the face of the global body's renewed scorn. Rather, the Palestinians will find that the international goodwill they generate with their campaign will utterly fail to dissolve the obstacles to peace that they actively maintain. To date, all attempts at a lasting settlement have ended in failure, and most of the blame can be ascribed to Palestinian intransigence. The Israelis understand better than anyone that peace is the preferred solution. After multiple failed intifadas, plenty of Palestinians know this too, which makes the grandstanding at the UN all the more tragic. Harnessing hostility to advance the cause of peace is absurd, and the Harper government's refusal to support the Palestinians' campaign is the right decision.
2011-09-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive