Tuesday, July 29, 2014

This Day In Snookland...Does B.C. Now Have A Foreign Affairs Ministry?

DidSheWatchGoldaFromHerDormRoom
TooVille


From the final bit of Ms. Christy Clark's letter of support for Israel released not by her government or her political party but instead by the 'Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs':

"...As the world continues to hope for a peace that satisfies both Israelis and Palestinians, I’m proud that British Columbia can be counted as a friend of Israel..."

As a rationale, Ms. Clark also states the following in her letter:

"...Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens against terrorist attacks..."

All of which makes one wonder, especially since she appears to have appointed herself as British Columbia's foreign minister, if Ms. Clark knows much about the Palestinian 'national consensus' government of reconciliation that was formed in June.

That government was recently described on the OpEd page of the NY Times by the International Crisis Group's Nathan Thrall thusly:

...(I)n many ways, the reconciliation government could have served Israel's interests. It offered Hamas' political adversaries a foothold in Gaza; it was formed without a single Hamas member; it retained the same Ramallah-based prime minister, deputy prime ministers, finance minister and foreign minister; and, most important, it pledged to comply with the three conditions for Western aid long demanded by America and its European allies: nonviolence, adherence to past agreements and recognition of Israel..."


So, what happened in the period between the striking of the reconciliation government and firing of rockets by Hamas from Gaza?

Well, Mr. Thrall concludes the following:

...Israel strongly opposed American recognition of the new government, however, and sought to isolate it internationally, seeing any small step toward Palestinian unity as a threat...

{snip}

...(In addition)...the key (on-the-ground) issues of paying Gaza's civil servants and opening the border with Egypt were left to fester...

(snip)

...(Thus) after Hamas transferred authority to a government of pro-Western technocrats, life in Gaza became worse...


Of course, Mr. Thrall may be overstating things in terms of Israel's role in the kiboshing the emergence of a more reasoned and reasonable governance of all the Palestinian territories that could have mitigated, or perhaps even have prevented, the current asymmetric hostilities.

I, personally, cannot be certain if that is, or is not, the case because I am most certainly not an expert on Palestinian-Israeli relations.

But Ms. Clark, especially if she is going to speak for 'British Columbia' (and, by extension, all British Columbians) in her newly-minted and self-proclaimed role as foreign minister of our fair province, darned well better be.

OK?


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You can read of/listen to more of Mr. Thrall's point-of-view if you wish....Here.
Subheader?....Well, you know....Iron Snowbird!


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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would hope someone from the "intelligent" as opposed to "idiot",
MSM would ask our Foreign Affairs guru about the history of the current conflict..... that is ask Christy without the benefit of a written script. Such a move would without a doubt show us just how stupid she really is.
But what most BC'ers are awaiting for is Christy's current position on Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin....
And when we ask her, give her a tip..... that he's the boss in Russia.

Guy in Victoria

ron wilton said...

More weasel words from our woefully uneducated and poorly informed preemy.

I guess 'having the right' to murder young boys playing soccer on a beach is a good 'defence' as these children might have grown up, got an education, and posed a real threat to the 'defenceless' invaders.

Anonymous said...

Well, lets see now.
Ms. Clark's accreditation begins with a Grade 12 Diploma.
I don't know if her major was Home Economics, Social Studies, or Arithmetic.
Her accreditations end with Grade 12.
Erm.............. does anyone else possibly think that perhaps she is expounding on a Subject she knows absolutely about?

Cheers,
Gary L.

Anonymous said...

She's got her head so far up Harper's ass she will never see daylight again.

Anonymous said...

Well the dead children of Palestine are said to be, merely collateral damage. There is a petition going around the globe, against Israel and their supporters.

We know all about the Campbell/Clark BC Liberals stance on children and families first. They are not first they are last on, Herr Harper and the BC Liberals list. BC's families first? The BC ship building contract, was given to Poland. Gee!! More ethnic votes.

Nor do I believe Christy is running this province, I think Harper is. Christy speaks for all of BC? The hell she does. Nor does her dictator Herr Harper, speak for all Canadians either.

The Campbell/Clark BC Liberals still have, the highest number of children living in poverty. They still have the highest number of children, going to school hungry.

The dead children of Palestine mean absolutely nothing to the, evil Harper cabal nor to Chisty's evil cabal.

What I would really like to say about, all of that low life scum, isn't printable.

North Van's Grumps said...

How can Premier Christy Clark separate British Columbia from being part of the world which is hoping for peace that satisfies both Israelis and Palestinians and THEN turn around and endorse Israel over Gaza citizens

"...As the world continues to hope for a peace that satisfies both Israelis and Palestinians, I’m proud that British Columbia can be counted as a friend of Israel..." - Premier Christy Clark

Why not say: We value citizens of both nations and hope that they will be able to live together in peace.

Anonymous said...

SH

Christy Clark is starting to believe her own hype. This is dangerous in a leader.

Anonymous said...

I thotht it was in China.Logs coal condos and lng.Not necessarilyy in that order

Anonymous said...

SH

Oh holey hell, I don't even know how my brain is even functioning here in high 30's c southerrrnnn interior (panting dogs have been sprayed down and given ice chilled milk), but it just occurred to me that midlife Barbie's riding, until very recently, used to be called "West Bank".

What twisted synchronicity is this? The Gawds are playing hardball with us!

e.a.f. said...

before Christy "tackles" peace in Palestine, perhaps she can "tackle" poverty in B.C. its a tad complicated.

Does she know the Americans sold billions of dollars worth of arms to Quatar, who support Hamas. Does she know how much the U.S.A. supplies in arms and money to any of the countries in the middle east. At the rate things are going, one could reasonably conclude war in the middle east is good for the American war economy. They supply arms to Afganistan, and they wind up with the Taliban. They sell arms to Israeli, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq. There will be no peace if arms sales are the number one aim of the Americans.

Oh, wait, maybe she thinks she is going to be the next P.M. of Canada and is getting her lines ready for international affairs. Now Christy, go sit in West Bank, B.C. and figure out how the kids can get back to school in sept. and the teachers have an honourable negotiated settlement. if christy can't achieve that, she ought not drift into "international affairs". its much too complicated for her.

RossK said...

Westbank, indeed.

Sheesh.


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Anonymous said...

SH:

On a little day trip this morning, my deeply aged, brilliant, canny, cynical, omniscient Father, said Christy is not stupid, and that she's in this for political capital--insert interest group here:

Sorry I missed the opportunity to sign this petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/israeli-gov-hamas-palestinian-leaders-usa-gov-european-leaders-stop-the-israel-gaza-violence

Anonymous said...

SH:

On a little road trip this morning, my deeply experienced, brilliant, canny, cynical, omniscient , young, octo-Father, said Christy is not stupid, and that she's in this for political capital--insert interest group here:

Sorry I missed the opportunity to sign this petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/israeli-gov-hamas-palestinian-leaders-usa-gov-european-leaders-stop-the-israel-gaza-violence