On the Road Again 2014 Interim - Mr. Harper and the MIddle East

I usually try not to get into debates about the Middle East. At least twice in the past week I have avoided conversations that would have sucked me into that morass of politics, religion and human rights that has been so much part of the international landscape for literally my entire life. It is not that I don't have opinions about the right and wrong of Israel's and Hamas' positions in the current round of blame, sabre rattling, rockets and death - it is just that it seems so pointless to engage in an argument when no one cares what anyone thinks.

Israel is not going to listen to the world community. In spite of numerous UN sanctions and from most of the countries in the world a demand for a peaceful resolution, Israel's concern over its security will always be more important to them than anyone's opinion; the leadership of Hamas knows full well that its actions, including using high density population centers and refugee camps as sites for storing weapons etc and most recently creating tunnels into Israel are actions guaranteed to cause Israel to attack those centers.

Until someone can figure out a way to hit both of those entities over the head with a gigantic 2x4 - and keep on doing it until both parties agree to listen to reason, nothing is going to change. One side says it has the right to defend and expand its border, the other says it has the right to create/re-establish something that has been broken for far too long. The rest of us at best sit on the sidelines and do nothing, at worst some nations and individuals cheer them on.

When I noted above that most of the world's nations have demanded a peaceful solution - a singular exception to this is Canada. Our esteemed Prime Minister ( please forgive the sarcasm) has once again come out and while deploring the deaths in Gaza, has said that the fault is all Hamas; that as Israel is only defending itself, they are not really at fault. One, of course, could argue that Israel's continued expansion into the occupied territories could be a contributing factor but then people like Harper would feel free to accuse me of being anti-Semitic.

It is curious that when Russia's Putin makes a land grab in the Ukraine, Harper condemns him frequently and loudly but when Israel does it, they are just defending themselves.

For me the issue the issue is not that Harper has a few strong opinions that are different than me, it is that he, in expressing those strong opinions, has (as noted in a Globe and Mail opinion piece by Sergio Marchi) deviated from Canada's traditionally position. We are no longer perceived has a nation that is neutral; a nation who has a well reasoned, with a well thought out position; a nation which is capable of acting as an intermediary.

Canada is now on the sidelines of international politics, yelling, screaming, threatening - just like a bad parent at a pee wee hockey game and just as effective and just as disliked by the majority who are watching the game.