Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff delivers a speech during the party's winter caucus meeting on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.
In Le Devoir, Michael Ignatieff directs some sharp criticism the Prime Minister's way today: "The Conservatives have attempted to turn Canada's Mideast policy into a domestic political issue and that's a grave error."
He's right.
It's one thing to shift Canadian foreign policy away from the Arabist position that has dominated our foreign affairs department during and since the birth of Israel - as it has at foreign ministries around the world. Paul Martin began the process during his short-lived government. And, from some of the other things Mr. Ignatieff had to say to Le Devoir, it appears that a government led by him would likely shift our policy back to the prevailing bureaucratic view.
But that position does not derive from anti-Semitism; it derives from bureaucratic interests plus their calculation of our national interest - devoid of political considerations and un-tempered by the geo-strategic interests and obeisance to common values that you find in U.S. foreign policy.
It's one thing to court Jewish votes by giving out grants or eating bagels or visiting Israel or appointing members of the tribe to sit along people of Italian, Lebanese and Greek origin in the senate. However, not since Joe Clark promised to move Canada's embassy to Jerusalem have we seen such a blatant use of Mideast foreign policy as an electoral issue.
The primary responsibility of a Canadian prime minister is to maintain domestic harmony - be it between Quebec and the rest of the country, be it among people of various origins in our increasingly multicultural society. One of the ways of doing so is to keep the divisive Mideast conflict out of domestic politics.
Mr. Harper is not fulfilling that responsibility. Mr. Ignatieff promises to, as he promises never to abuse the power to prorogue.
As Muslims say: "Inshallah."