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LETTERS: No peace by taking sides

Editor: The government of Canada’s unequivocal support of Israel concerning the present conflict in Palestine is a conundrum to me.

Editor:

The government of Canada’s unequivocal support of Israel concerning the present conflict in Palestine is a conundrum to me.

The justification for this support given by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird is to say that if Canada was attacked by terrorists, we would defend ourselves in the same manner.

But Canada is not under attack, and the use of this justification is an attempt to reduce criticism and debate of this policy.

The recent statements by both these men blaming Hamas for the killing of innocent Palestinians are appalling. Both sides in this conflict are to blame for the present carnage. Both Hamas and Israel have to stop the killing and start negotiating a permanent, peaceful settlement.

By unilaterally supporting one side in this struggle, the Canadian government relinquishes any opportunity to take part in any efforts to bring peace to this region.

In previous times, Canada was a respected influence in these types of situations; those days are gone. Not looking for or displaying any support for a peace process makes me wonder what the motivation of this government is when dealing with this situation.

Wanting to see more dead Israelise and Palestinians, surely this cannot be the motivation of our present government. I believe the only reason for the Conservative government’s unswerving support of Israel is the one thing that they covet the most in all their actions and strategies. That is votes.

How many more lost lives? How many more gained votes?

Ian Routledge, White Rock