Nova Scotia should not be choosing sides

By SAMIRA TAHA, LINDA SCHERZINGER and LARRY HAIVEN
Thu, Jun 2, 2011                        The Chronicle Herald

Imagine a country, let’s call it Country X, that frequently abuses the human rights of people under its rule, denying many of them citizenship and freedom to move, taking their land, practising arbitrary search and seizure, and placing many of them in jail without trial for long periods of time.

Imagine that Country X’s armed forces dropped hundreds of tonnes of bombs on people under its rule and then moved in on the ground to destroy their homes, businesses and municipal services. In the process, they killed thousands, including children.

Imagine that all of this activity was fully documented, not only by the United Nations and by international human rights and aid organizations, but also by human rights groups within Country X.

Imagine if the world community, including the United Nations (with many resolutions), roundly condemned the leaders of Country X and urged them repeatedly to stop these abuses. Imagine that the leaders of Country X continued to deny the abuses. Imagine that people and governments the world over were frustrated with these antics and that Country X was increasingly isolating itself.

Imagine that, desperate to combat its quarantine, Country X tried to “normalize” relations with other countries. As part of this effort, an X-ian official approached the government of Nova Scotia to establish “closer business ties.” The premier of Nova Scotia ignored the abuses and proposed sending a provincial delegation to Country X, saying he was “entranced with the people and the advances made in various fields, including science and technology, agriculture, business and education.”

Nova Scotians would naturally be outraged to see our government doing this. At the very least, we would say that our province was choosing sides — it was aiding and abetting the actions of Country X. And we would demand that Nova Scotia instead do much more to help achieve a permanent end to the abuses. Or at least, that Nova Scotia cancel the junket and remain non-partisan on the issue. Wouldn’t we?

Now imagine that “Country X” has been a pseudonym and its real name is Israel. And you get the picture.

On June 15, the Nova Scotia government, through Nova Scotia Business Inc., is hosting a workshop for Nova Scotia companies where representatives of the Atlantic Jewish Council and the government of Israel will prepare them for a trip to Israel in October. Will the politicians and business leaders hear both sides of the issue? Will the politicians and business leaders make independent visits to Gaza and the West Bank to see the situation for themselves? Will the business delegation speak with independent Jewish and Palestinian human rights committees?

Not likely.

Letters, calls and emails to the Nova Scotia government from representatives of the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities and from Jewish peace groups have received cursory responses, and requests for a meeting have been ignored.

At a time when the world community is working to resolve the situation, when Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups are increasingly vocal and suffering for it, when even U.S. President Barack Obama has challenged Israel’s policies, Nova Scotia should not be going the other way. Sometimes, friends need to tell friends they are wrong and back it up with action. And if Nova Scotia cannot, or will not, do this, it should step to the side and stop making things worse.