Angry in the Great White North
Following or leading?
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 08:22 PM

Read other posts by Steve Janke published by the National Post
Leader

I guess the Conservatives will have to get used to this:

“Canada is blindly following the lead of Washington,” and of pro-Israel lobby groups, she said.

Yes, Stephen Harper does whatever George W Bush does. Typical neo-con. Can't be trusted to chart Canada's own unique destiny.

The problem with this statement of national vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, Wahida Valiante, is that it simply isn't true.

Canada has become the first country after Israel to cut funding and diplomatic ties to the Palestinian Authority over the new Hamas government’s refusal to renounce violence.

The Conservatives say they will still offer humanitarian aid to Palestinians through the United Nations and other agencies.

But Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said Wednesday that Ottawa cannot go farther.

"As you know, Hamas is a terrorist organization — listed in this country — and we cannot send any direct aid to an organization that refuses to renounce terrorist activity, refuses to renounce violence."

The first country after Israel. Doesn't sound like someone who follows. Sounds like someone who leads.

Palestinian leaders are shocked. I bet they are:

Ottawa has been sending $25 million a year to Palestine but the Liberals had planned hefty increases.

Instead, the $25 million will now be cut by $7.3 million to $17.7 million, said Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Marie-Christine Lilkoff.

The argument for not cutting off aid is predictable:

Cutting off contact will not help Palestine improve its democratic systems, Valiante says.

Rewarding terrorists is not likely to do much to improve democracy either.

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