John,

You may have seen Carleton University professor Thomas Juneau’s column in The Globe and Mail that called on Canada to cease its relationship with Israel because of the ongoing domestic debate over judicial reform. You can read it here (you may need to be a subscriber, but the headline says it all)

In the coming days, you’ll also probably see the Letter to the Editor our own Shimon Koffler Fogel wrote in response to it. 

What you didn’t see was the rebuttal op-ed he originally submitted to The Globe that, while they were unable to publish it, suggested be turned into a shorter version for consideration as a Letter to the Editor. When it’s published, we’ll let you know. But in the meantime, we felt it was important that you see the original column from Shimon in its entirety.  

There are key points and counterarguments he makes that put Mr. Juneau’s flawed arguments, misrepresentation of facts on the ground, and overall message, which does not promote peace, into perspective.  

We invite you to share this with your network – your friends, your family, and anyone else you think should read it. And, as always, feel free to share it on your social media. 

Canada’s Close Friendship to Israel is Crucial to Advance Peace in the Middle East 

Thomas Juneau’s July 27 piece, “Canada must rethink its friendship with Israel,” was surprising, but for all the wrong reasons. Coming from a respected scholar of international affairs, with a focus on topics such as the Middle East and national security, it was the flawed arguments and blatant misrepresentation of facts on the ground that were astounding.  

The piece argued for a recalibration of Canada’s foreign policy with one democratically elected government while seemingly ignoring others, such as Italy and Sweden – or even the election of Donald Trump in the US – that had also tacked right in their elections.  

The bilateral relationship between Canada and Israel is much deeper than a single policy issue or government. It is, as it should be, rooted in country-to-country relations; it is not conditioned to a particular government at a particular point of time.  
 
Juneau failed not just to make a compelling argument; he made a dangerous one. 

Far from distancing itself from Israel and the region, as Thomas Juneau argues, Canada should instead engage more intensely in the new Middle East underway, leveraging both its close friendship with the Jewish State and its deepening ties with the Gulf States to bring Jews and Arabs closer. Indeed, the singular focus on the Israel-Palestinian conflict is outdated, having failed time and time again, as has been recognized by our neighbour to the South. The major geopolitical change brought by the Abraham Accords – the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, and counting – should underpin a new Canadian strategy of engaging with the region. As the trade, travel, and tech connections flourish between the countries, Canada can and should be there both to encourage its growth and depth and to ensure Canadians and Canadian businesses benefit.  

Contrary to the opinions of some, the goal of the Abraham Accords model is by no means to bypass the Palestinians; it is to establish a model of cooperation, dialogue, tolerance, and respect. It creates new opportunities and needs for expertise as well, from which the Palestinian leadership and economy can benefit. This is the new Middle East. Canada’s reputation as a peacekeeper and the Trudeau government’s prioritization of a feminist foreign policy puts it in a prime position to lead, particularly in bringing women into the peace-building equation.  

Although a security expert, Juneau raises several points that must be highlighted for their naïveté: that the Palestinian Authority should be encouraged to “reform itself” and hold elections; that Canada should stop training Palestinian security forces because their cooperation with Israel “entrenches” the occupation; and that Canada should “boost” support for Palestinian civil society.  

The first point negates the reality on the ground entirely: that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has now lost control over parts of the West Bank (including Jenin) under its official control; and that, were elections held, many believe the result would be a repeat of the Gaza debacle 16 years ago, when a terrorist organization strongarmed the election process and took charge. The second fails to realize that, while one can certainly evaluate the return on Canadian investment in training Palestinian security forces, the facts are that Area A of the West Bank is part of the jurisdiction of the PA and its security forces and, with rising prominence there of terror groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it is not in Canada’s interest to weaken the PA’s ability to police its territory. Further, to create a future peace between the two, cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel must be encouraged, not discarded.  

The claim that “boost[ing] support for Palestinian civil society” will be a magic fix is similarly naïve. In the past, Canadian funding intended for organizations promoting peace has, instead, gone to groups promoting antisemitism and hatred. In some cases, governments have funded organizations with ties to terror. To create the people-to-people ties necessary for peace, Canada should only fund partners with established records of bringing Israelis and Palestinians together. Groups promoting division should never be considered for taxpayer dollars.  

Although the current mood might be imbued with pessimism and concern, claiming disengagement is the answer is as simplistic as it is unhelpful. Canada can and should find ways to create peace in the region. But, as with the domestic policies of other democratic states, Canada should not interfere. Israelis are some of the most passionate and politically engaged people anywhere. They will find their own path forward and continue building a Jewish and democratic state in the ancestral lands of the Jewish people, in peace with its neighbours.