December 8, 2009

Ya gotta love Canada

KAIROS and Alternatives, politicized Canadian NGOs, lose gov’t funding

According to media reports, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has rejected grant renewal applications from KAIROS and Alternatives. The requested government funding in the amount of $C7 million over 4 years would reportedly have covered half of KAIROS’ budget. In 2007, Alternatives received $C3.9 million from the Federal Government, out of a $C4.9 million budget.

A spokesperson for the International Development Minister explained that “[a]fter completing due diligence it was determined that [KAIROS’] project does not meet CIDA’s current priorities.” Alternatives claimed that it had “not received official confirmation” that its proposal was denied.

NGO Monitor has published detailed analyses of both groups, noting that:

KAIROS -

    * Represents 11 church-groups, is a primary supporter of the anti-Israel divestment movement in Canada, and distributes documents from the Palestinian NGO Sabeel alleging “illegal and immoral behavior” and “apartheid practices.”
    * Accuses Israel of “war crimes” and “collective punishment” in its campaigns against Israeli and Canadian policy on Gaza.
    * A publication that describes Zionism as an “ideology of empire, colonialism, and militarism” appears on KAIROS’ “resources for education and action” webpage.

Alternatives -

    * Calls itself a “solidarity organization,” and engages in domestic advocacy that creates intense hostility towards Israel and disseminates the Palestinian narrative (nakba).
    * Supported “Israel Apartheid Week” in Montreal, and often uses Durban-type “apartheid” rhetoric, while minimizing Palestinian terror.
    * Alternatives is active in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign, and is a member of the radical Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine (CJPP).
Posted by Ted Belman @ 5:48 pm | 15 Comments »

15 Responses to Ya gotta love Canada

  1. ayn reagan says:

    The political world inverted in 1967.
    Conservatives now support Jews and liberals now oppose them.
    As Norman Podhoretz has noted, the only ones yet to realize the new reality are liberal Jews.
    And drunkards.

  2. Aline says:

    Our PM Stephen Harper, is solidly pro-Israel.

    Harper reaffirms support for State of Israel

    THORNHILL, Ont — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is urging all Canadians to confront what he calls a “rising tide of anti-Semitism” around the world.

    Harper passionately reaffirmed his government’s support for the state of Israel in a speech to hundreds of members of the Jewish community in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill.

    Harper was interrupted by several standing ovations at the grand opening ceremony for a community centre.

    Harper, who was joined by Conservative MP Peter Kent, who represents the area, urged all Canadians to “confront” anti-Semitism as a “moral evil.”

    He said the Conservatives have been taking continual leadership on that issue, including when Kent spoke out against recent anti-Semitic incidents on some university campuses.

    The speech comes amid the government’s refusal to allow British MP George Galloway from entering Canada, apparently because of links to Hamas.

    The federal government says Galloway is inadmissible because he engaged in terrorism and was a member of a group that engaged in terrorism.

    That charge is apparently based on the fact that Galloway delivered humanitarian goods to war-torn Gaza and gave $45,000 to the Hamas government.

    Hamas is a banned terrorist organization in Canada.

    Galloway’s lawyers are challenging the entry ban and are considering a civil action

    http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090326/harper_israel_090326/20090326?hub=Canada

    Arab group deprived of $447,000 grant by Canadian government

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/130549

    Canada official says it’s Israel’s best friend. Canada refused to attend Durban II. Minister Kenney called the conference, ‘The Durban II Hate Fest’, referring to the last conference that took place in Durban, South Africa in 2001, an event which spent a majority of time castigating Israel.

    Kenney added that Canadian Prime Minister Harper has stated many times that, “Those who attack Israel do not seek a political settlement in peace, they seek the destruction of Israel.”

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127730

    PM Stephen Harper lights candle at the site of the Jewish massacre at Mumbai

    http://www.cjc.ca/2009/11/17/pm-sees-two-sides-of-mumbai-solemn-vigil-harper-lights-candle-for-victims-at-jewish-hostel-struck-in-2008-spree-of-terror/

    However, the leader of the opposition, Liberal Michael Ignatieff, is definitely not pro-Israel.

    This is what Ignatieff wrote on The Guardian on April 19, 2002

    Why Bush Must Send in his Troops (To Israel)

    By Michael Ignatieff

    When I looked down at the West Bank, at the settlements like Crusader forts occupying the high ground, at the Israeli security cordon along the Jordan river closing off the Palestinian lands from Jordan, I knew I was not looking down at a state or the beginnings of one, but at a Bantustan, one of those pseudo-states created in the dying years of apartheid to keep the African population under control.

    The time for endless negotiation between the parties is past: it is time to say that all but those settlements right on the 1967 green line must go; that the right of return is incompatible with peace and security in the region and the right must be extinguished with a cash settlement; that the UN, with funding from Europe, will establish a transitional administration to help the Palestinian state back on its feet and then prepare the ground for new elections before exiting; and, most of all, the US must then commit its own troops, and those of willing allies, not to police a ceasefire, but to enforce the solution that provides security for both populations.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/19/israel3

    While Canada led the walkout from the UN BEFORE Ahmadinejad’s speech at the UN, liberal Ignatieff criticized, and called Harper’s absence from the meeting “a shame for Canada”. Harper had shown his contempt for the UN meeting by visiting a doughnut factory instead.

    http://www.liberal.ca/en/newsroom/media-releases/16388_harpers-united-nations-no-show-shames-canada

    While the Lebanon 2 war was still raging, Ignatieff also rushed to accuse Israel of war crimes.

    Let’s pray that PM Stephen Harper stays in power for the next 50 years!!!

    (Sorry I usually get carried away when it comes to PM Harper.)

  3. yamit82 says:

    Isn’t it interesting how exited some of us get when a celebrity or political leader says or does anything deemed favorable to Israel? It’s akin almost to giving a reward to someone because they did the right thing, the moral thing?

    I never got that kind of Lavish praise from my mother when she ordered me to clean up my room. Knowing I could never please or satisfy her on this point I never did, clean up my room, I figured it was a waste of time and energy.

  4. ayn reagan says:

    I never did, clean up my room, I figured it was a waste of time and energy.

    A waste of energy?

    An ironic turn of phrase, given that the natural gas reservoir resulting from the methane generated by the festering sewage of that room made you the fabulous fortune which even today remains the envy of Warren Buffett.

  5. Aline says:

    To Yamit82

    You may not know the other side of the story.

    Canada is swarming with anti-Semites: Unions (civil servants, teachers, etc.), campuses, other political parties such as the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party, human rights organizations, immigrants, churches, the media, and on and on and on…

    PM Stephen Harper has to be given credit because he’s going against the tide. Being pro-Israel is very unpopular and politically toxic. It WILL cost him votes.

    The demographics are against us. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are arriving yearly. Some as immigrants, others as assylum seekers. They raise large families, as we well know. Someday they’ll determine foreign policy in this country. And then, after that, we’ll be ruled by Sharia law. Unless we get more Chinese to come to Canada. I’m all for lots of Chinese immigration to counteract the Muslim presence.

    A year ago I had never seen veiled women in the streets of Victoria. This year I have seen dozens. And they don’t look like tourists. They reside here now.

    So, the fact that Stephen Harper acts out of principle and not out of political convenience is indeed rare and something I acknowledge and appreciate.

    He recently hosted the Dalai Lama, in spite of loud grumblings by the Chinese government. Obama, with his Nobel Peace Prize and all, refused to meet with the Dalai Lama.

    So I say it with pride: PM Stephen Harper is one cool dude.

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  7. yamit82 says:

    Aline, I know all that and I am really, really happy for Harpers principled stands re: Israel. I was trying to be cynical like when we honor those 20-30 thousand righteous Gentiles at Yad veh Shem. 20-30 thousand out of how many millions? To honor and recognize the acts of so few who helped to save Jews at considerable risk should be recognized by us and honored but the other side of the coin is in that our act of honoring and in that recognition it is also a condemnation of the rest.

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  9. ayn reagan says:

    Even as Harper seeks to defund and marginalize the Islamists, Obama incorporates them into his government. CAIR is frequently being consulted by the executive branch to enhance “sensitivity” towards Muslims. A CAIR representative was even invited to Fort Hood, because Obama has apparently concluded from the slaughter there that Nidal Husan was a victim of Islamophobia.

    Why Bush Must Send in his Troops (To Israel)

    By Michael Ignatieff

    Samantha Power has advocated the same.

    The Left in America and Canada are unified in their hatred of Jews.

  10. h peskin says:

    the current and past goverments of Canada are strong supporters of Israel. Which has not prevented Canada being friendly to the P.A. and an important funder of the Palestinian economy.

    Minister Day meets with Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad
    March 24, 2008 – The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety Canada, met yesterday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

    “I was pleased to meet with Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad to discuss public safety issues of mutual interest,” said Minister Day.

    Minister Day visited the West Bank where he toured a prison and a police training center in Jericho. Minister Day is meeting with Canadians working on public safety issues in the region.

    Minister Day will soon be meeting with his counterparts in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. During his recent visit to Israel on March 23, he signed a Declaration of Intent with Israeli Minister Dichter to enhance cooperation in the area of public safety.

    This Middle East visit is part of the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to build and maintain relationships with its international partners on global public safety priorities.

    Finally, Minister Day also noted that Canada’s December 2007 commitment of 300 million dollars in support of the peace process includes a significant component devoted to security, including policing and public order capacity-building. This five year commitment will go towards the creation of a democratic, accountable, and viable Palestinian state that lives in peace and security alongside Israel.

    ——————————————————————————————————–

    Canada-West Bank/Gaza Strip relations
    Fact Sheet — HTML | PDF (PDF, 53 KB)

    Bilateral Relations
    Canada’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority is positive and moving forward. Canada welcomed the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in establishing a government committed to non-violence, recognizing Israel and accepting previous agreements and obligations.

    In accordance with the 1993 Oslo accords, Canada’s Representative Office in Ramallah is responsible for the delivery of Canada’s economic and development assistance to the Palestinians in West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian General Delegation, opened in Ottawa in 1995, represents Palestinian interests in Canada.

    Canada is committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and the creation of a viable independent and democratic Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel. Canada believes that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through a negotiated two-state solution.

    On November 27, 2009, Canada welcomed the commitment of the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership to resume negotiations towards a peace agreement during the Annapolis Conference in Maryland, US, and reiterated its willingness to assist the parties. On December 02, Canada announced a contribution of $300 million over five years in support of the peace process and of Palestinianreform and development in the priority areas of security, governance and prosperity.

    Canada is contributing $15 million to the World Bank?s Palestinian Reform and Development Plan Trust Fund to help the Palestinian Authority meet its budgetary requirements. Canada is a strong supporter of Palestinian security system reform, particularly through our contribution to the mission of the U.S. Security Coordinator, Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, and to the European Union Police Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support. Canada also plans to contribute to the reform of the Palestinian Authority, notably in the justice sector, by constructing court houses and forensics laboratories and by assisting in the training of judges and corrections service workers.

    Canada began a bilateral assistance programme in the West Bank and Gaza following the Oslo Accords. Since 1993-94, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has provided more than $400 million for development initiatives in the West Bank and Gaza, assistance to Palestinian refugees and support to the Middle East Peace Process.

    Over the past year, the Canada-Palestinian relationship has benefited from increased ministerial contacts. Minister of Finance James Flaherty, then Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier and Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day visited the West Bank in early 2008. The Palestinian Minister of Justice, Dr. Ali Khashan, visited Canada in February. Palestinian President Abbas visited Canada in May 2005, accompanied by then Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad.

    Commercial Relations
    Bilateral trade between Canada and the West Bank and Gaza Strip is modest. As Israeli customs laws apply to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, pursuant to the Paris Protocol, Palestinian exports to Canada benefit from preferential treatment offered in the 1997 Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). Furthermore, in 1999, Canada concluded the Joint Canadian-Palestinian Framework on Economic Cooperation and Trade with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which confirmed PA approval of the application of preferential tariffs and any future concessions under CIFTA to goods produced in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Canadian Representative Office in Ramallah and a small delegation led by the Canada-Arab Business Council participated in the Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem in May 2008. The Conference was intended to complement other efforts to stimulate the Palestinian economy and support the peace process.

    ——————————————————————————–

  11. h peskin says:

    I never did, clean up my room, I figured it was a waste of time and energy.

    .
    Yamit82 – December 8, 2009 @ 6.10 pm
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
    An ironic turn of phrase, given that the natural gas reservoir resulting from the methane generated by the festering sewage of that room made you the fabulous fortune which even today remains the envy of Warren Buffett.

    Comment by ayn reagan — December 8, 2009 @ 7:52 pm

    Congratulations ayn, you have just been nominated for your ironic turn of phrase— 2009 prizes.

    -Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal (Can).

    -Mark Twain Prize for Humour (U.S).

    -Sid Fleischman Humor award (U.S)

    -Ginsberg and Levy Deli Prize for Original Comedy (Africa).

    We are all indeed very gratified by your eminent accomplishments.
    And we rest assured that Mr. Y has absolutely no idea what’s flying.

  12. ayn reagan says:

    No Nobel Peace Prize?

  13. h peskin says:

    ayn

    No Nobel Peace Prize?

    How in Dickens do you expect a Nobel Peace Prize when you continue to violently pull my yoyo?

    Get away woman!! scat.

  14. yamit82 says:

    And we rest assured that Mr. Y has absolutely no idea what’s flying.

    This comment comes from?

    Since you are always linked with what you believe to be majority consensus, ( Majority can’t be wrong syndrome) Lets do an experiment here. Lets have an online poll asking whether the readers agree with your statement or not and if anyone agrees with you on even a single attempt at thought based on your comments on Israpundit,(impossibility from brain dead freaks of nature) from the one who posts under the name of hpeskin and a myriad of others on a single blog!! Are you the reincarnation of Lon Chaney or just a poor fucked up wannabe Tootsie?

  15. yamit82 says:

    Congratulations ayn, you have just been nominated for your ironic turn of phrase— 2009 prizes.

    Actually Tootsie, I think she is heads and shoulders above all of the effete winners and award givers and recipients you listed.