Canada's ZOG Prime Minister says criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic
Criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, Harper says
Some of the criticism brewing in Canada against the state of Israel, including from some members of Parliament, is similar to the attitude of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned yesterday.
"I guess my fear is what I see happening in some circles is (an) anti-Israeli sentiment, really just as a thinly disguised veil for good old-fashioned anti-Semitism, which I think is completely unacceptable," Harper said in an interview with CJAD radio.
"We learned in the Second World War that those who would hate and destroy the Jewish people would ultimately hate and destroy the rest of us as well, and the same holds today."
Harper, who was to deliver a speech in Toronto marking the 60th anniversary of Israel in the evening, blamed some of his rivals in opposition for encouraging anti-Semitism in the midst of the conflict between the Jewish state and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 in Lebanon. At the time, Harper was criticized in some circles for being pro-Israel when he defended controversial military strikes in Beirut.
"Canada, under this government, is never going to cater to that kind of opinion," Harper said.
"I am disturbed that there are some elements in our political system, there are even some members of Parliament ... that were willing to cater to that kind of opinion."
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Rae asks Tory house leader to identify opposition 'anti-Semites'
Liberal MP Bob Rae asked the Tory house leader to point out the "anti-Semites" in the Opposition benches following comments by the prime minister in which he suggested some politicians are encouraging anti-Semitism with their anti-Israeli attitudes.
During question period, Rae, the Liberal foreign affairs critic, read from an interview Stephen Harper gave to Toronto radio station CFRB on the subject of Israel's 60th anniversary this week.
In the interview, Harper said that in some circles, anti-Israeli sentiment has become "a thinly disguised veil for good old-fashioned anti-Semitism."
"I am disturbed that there are some elements in our political system, there are even some members of Parliament we saw during the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah a couple years back — some that were willing to cater to that kind of opinion," Harper said.
Rae asked Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan to identify the MPs Harper was referring to. Harper was not in the House on Friday during question period.
"Now I'd like to ask the minister, perhaps he will understand the sensitivity that all of us feel as members of parliament, perhaps the minister can tell us perhaps who exactly are the anti-Semites that the prime minister is talking about," Rae said.
Van Loan said that Rae himself had experienced anti-Semitism during his leadership candidacy and knows the "corrosive impact it can have."
During his campaign, Rae's campaign said he was the target of anti-Semitic attacks for his support of Israel and in part because his wife is Jewish.
But Rae said the current issue over the prime minister's interview is not about him and he hopes Prime Minister Harper will clarify his comments next week.