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Thomas Mulcair's support for Israel
February 18, 2012 - 8:37pm
Who else is tired of this BS?
The following are two articles on Thomas Mulcair's uncritical support for Israel, from Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) and Canadians for Justice and Pece in the Middle East (CJPME). I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed in both pieces. I also consider this issue important enough to warrant its own thread.
I would urge any and all NDP members concerned with Justice for the Palestinian people not to rank Mulcair on your NDP leadership ballot.
Thomas Mulcair--Israel Right or Wrong (IJV)
Thomas Mulcair unaligned with NDP policy on Middle East (CPJME)
A thread about issues rather than the horserace. Thanks for starting this Left Turn, it's an important issue. According to CJPME, Mulcair has not come out in support of the Palestinian statehood bid, unlike most of the other leadership candidates. This certainly gives one reason to believe he is closer to Rae, Harper and Obama on the issue of Israel/Palestine than he is to the rest of the party.
Issues my ass.
It is just another in the many attempts here to try and smear Mulcair with zero, and I repeat da nada substance.
Why not have some threads about what Canadians really care about such as jobs, etc. instead of this constant silliness. It is obvious here that some posters could care less whether or not the NDP wins the next election, and they just want to bellyache about their latest pet peeve.
Mulcair cared enough about Israel to publicly freak out against his co-deputy leader of the NDP, because she got entrapped by a video blogger. He cared enough to make his "ardent supporter" statement. He cared enough that when I wrote to him and suggested that he move to get the NDP out of the CPCCA, as the Bloc had just finished doing, he never replied to me - I got a reply from Judy Waszylycia-Leis instead. And the NDP is still there, thanks in no small part to Tom Mulcair.
When you see Harper and Kenney declaring their undying allegiance to Israel - when the war drums are beating over Iran - you actually can say that what Canadians really care about are "jobs, etc."? This is the kind of leadership we should be giving?
If he's running to be Prime Minister - or just party leader - people have a right (actually, a duty) to know where he stands, not only on foreign affairs, but what his most powerful personal and emotional driving forces are. This is far more important than candidates standing up and declaring that they will create jobs (which Harper and Flaherty do quite well also). This issue is very fundamental to Canadian interests - and it's not my words that make it so, it's Mulcair's behaviour.
Yes, when Mulcair made an error over Bin Laden we didn't see Libby asking for him to resign.
So tired.
YAWWWWWN!
why don't people go to a mulcair event and ask the question of where he stands? assuming this or that isn't productive.
Because his positions are on the public record. You're seriously suggesting that people who want to know his views should go to a fashion show where he's squaring off against other candidates? Do I have to go find Vic Toews and interrogate him before I condemn his stand on criminal justice?
We have a progressive Jewish organization and a respected NGO which is the CJPME warning about Mulcair's stand on the Middle East. What are they... secret Peggy Nash or Martin Singh supporters?
The "YAWNERS" here are so interested in the outcome of some interminable race for the leadership of a party that they view everyone else's motives from the same narrow sectarian prism as their own.
Past actions speak volumes in my opinion. Mulcair's position on Israel and Palestine makes it impossible for me to support him. Dewar's position on the UN Anti-Racism conference (dubbed Durban II) by the right wing media makes it impossible for me to support him.
I don't believe in personality transplants - long term transformation of views yes but short term no.
As a Jew, you won't see me line up with Israel without thinking first and asking why the Palestinians are getting such a raw deal. I am not a Zionist, and neither were my parents. When the Combined Jewish Appeal called, my mother would always tell my father (blessed be both their memories), Reevan, bullets for Israel was on the phone. I would listen and laugh. Boy, they hated them.
This thing is a mess, and though I don't believe any NDP leader should be ready to go "Ready, Aye Ready", whenever Jewish Canadians or Israelis demand they do. Notwithstanding, this isn't for me reason enough not to vote for Tom, if he becomes my number one choice. I wish this thing would go away.
So? Mulcair didn't ask Libbye Davies to resign either. He simply criticized her for making a mistake...since then he has forgiven and forgotten.
She got entraped but he publicly freaked out. No biases there of course.
Please stop this silliness. Mulcair supports the NDP policy on the Middle East. 'Enough said.
And I really hope Mulcair does not make one comment on the Middle East before March 24th.
If the first sentence above is true, what reason do you have to be afraid if he makes a comment?
Because regardless of what he says, the same critics will come out of the woodwork to criticize. To some people, Thomas Mulcair will always be the epitome of Israeli imperialism no matter what his actual positions are. In this context, there is no point in him engaging.
Isn't it past your bedtime? The grown-ups are trying to have a serious conversation here
Gee that's what Tom Mulcair said at one of his riding meetings...told folks to "shut up".
No, I won't shut up. Nor will I support Mulcair.
I agree - sweeping this matter under the rug is no solution. I think many of us are feeling pinched - we may believe that Mulcair is the best candidate to hold and grow Quebec and indeed bring the NDP to victory in the next federal election - but are really, really concerned with the matter raised in this thread.
The problem of NDP support for Zionist oppression by Israel, is unfortunately not restricted to Mulcair, nor will it be alleviated by choosing another leader who differs only in style. The problem is NDP support for Israeli colonization, apartheid and warcrimes.
Propaganda? Where?
Worth repeating. Thanks, Gaian.
Oh, okay - maybe it is over the top, but I think he's making a point, although that can be debated.
Well said!
You don't seem to care if the next prime minister, who gets to decide on Canada's participation or non-participation in foreign wars, has a skewed, pro-imperialist vision of geopolitics in the Middle East.
Fortunately, however, some of us do care.
Funny how foreign political conflicts have "nothing to do with us" until it comes time to beat the war drums against Libya, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Then suddenly we bear a great "humanitarian" responsibility to intervene on the side of imperialism. Only later do people start to figure out that their own ignorance and lack of interest in what really goes on in the world falsely led them to jump on the war wagon.
We are part of NATO. The USA will decide what's good for Canada. lol