|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/anita-anands-misguided-condemnation-of-israel
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's Misguided Condemnation of Israel
(National Post-Canada) Amb. Alan Baker - The recent statement by Global Affairs Canada condemning "the ongoing violence in the West Bank" and exhorting against "the expansion of Israeli settlements" appears to be both misinformed and misguided. Violence of any kind directed against Arab or Jewish residents cannot be condoned, and must be punished in accordance with the law. This is a clear societal norm in any civilized society. However, in specifically condemning violence in the West Bank, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand appears to forget, or chooses to ignore, the ongoing, near-daily acts of Palestinian terror carried out against Israeli citizens. In so doing, she is in effect turning a blind eye to such terror, and sanctioning it. Regrettably, Minister Anand appears to be characterizing instances of violence committed by marginal and irresponsible groups of youth as if it is the officially sanctioned policy of the Israeli government. There exists no Israeli policy encouraging or sanctioning violence against Arabs. Such violence is clearly illegal and, as in any normal society, law enforcement bodies are required to act against it. To dub this "settler violence" would appear to be contrived and malicious. The absurdity of such a negative buzz phrase directed only against Israel is particularly blatant when one compares this with the violence and hooliganism seen around the world, including the violence and hate seen at political marches and demonstrations on campuses and on major thoroughfares throughout Canada. Global Affairs' statement that Israel's settlements are "illegal under international law and undermine prospects for peace, security and stability" is no less ill-advised. Customary international law enables an administering authority, in governing territory it holds, to use and benefit from land that is not privately owned, as long as it refrains from altering the status of the land, pending the negotiation of a peaceful settlement of the dispute. The Oslo Accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, which established a special legal regime applicable to the West Bank, overriding any other legal framework, accorded to both sides the power to conduct zoning, planning and construction projects in the areas under their respective control and administration, pending the outcome of negotiations between the parties on the permanent status of the territories. To claim that communities that were legitimately established and comport with Palestinian-Israeli agreements are illegal and "undermine prospects for peace, security and stability" would appear to indicate a lack of knowledge on the part of those advising Global Affairs Canada in general, and Minister Anand in particular. As the former ambassador of Israel to Canada, it is distressing to see how the relationship between our two countries has deteriorated. The writer served as legal adviser to Israel's foreign ministry and as Israel's ambassador to Canada (2004-2008). He heads the international law program at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.