"Casualties [of civilians in Gaza] are caused by the Israelis using very heavy weapons systems, firing indiscriminately onto Palestinian women and children"
Earlier this week, statements made by Lt. Gen. Andrew Leslie (ret.) were made public. The retired general is one of Justin Trudeau’s key advisors and is seeking the Liberal nomination in the riding of Ottawa-Orleans to run in the expected 2015 election campaign.
Leslie, who co-chairs a group that advises the kid on international affairs, held a roundtable on veterans’ affairs on Aug. 19 in the riding he wishes to represent and was asked about the Middle East conflict between Hamas and Israel. In answer to the question, Leslie said:
“Casualties [of civilians in Gaza] are caused by the Israelis using very heavy weapons systems, firing indiscriminately onto Palestinian women and children.”
Leslie gave no evidence to substantiate what he said nor did he mention how Hamas uses women and children as human shields and how they fire rockets into Israel from populated areas including schools, hospitals and UN buildings. The retired general is obviously of the view the Jew country has no right to defend itself and repeated Hamas propaganda that Israeli soldiers fired “indiscriminately” at innocent civilians.
The party’s first response was to blame the person who asked the question rather than on their star candidate’s answer. The woman who asked the question was Alexandra Constantinidis, who works as a Conservative Party staffer.
Although Constantinidis possibly set Leslie up, she did not force him to give the answer he gave. And contrary to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, not everyone joins the military because they are too stupid to do anything else. Leslie is responsible for the answer he gave.
Leslie’s comments are contrary not only to previously issued statements by the Liberals but those of the other two major parties. The Conservative Party is staunchly on the side of the Jewish state while Thomas Mulcair, leader of the opposition NDP, favours a two-state solution and has remained neutral. Mulcair recently lost an MP who left the party after calling Mulcair’s statement that Israel has a right to defend itself “despicable.”
As recently as mid-July, Trudeau said, “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. Hamas is a terrorist organization and must cease its rocket attacks immediately.”
Describing Hamas as a terrorist organization is pretty strong language from a party whose leader thinks terrorism is caused by resource depletion and the feeling of exclusion by members of organizations like the Islamic State.
Even within Sun media, the only mainstream news organization paying attention to Leslie’s comments, are willing to give Junior the benefit of the doubt by saying what Leslie said was contrary to Liberal Party policy. Perhaps, but not very likely.
In the first place, the situation in the Middle East is way too complicated for someone like Trudeau to enunciate. Trudeau’s okay when it comes to his policy of “Hey man, let’s legalize weed” but even then gets it wrong. Trudeau thinks if marijuana is legalized, organized crime will be eliminated from its sale and marijuana would then be taxed. Just like cigarettes. The boy is obviously oblivious to the fact taxes on legal cigarettes are so high there is a huge industry in the sale of illegal cigarettes by, you guessed it, organized crime.
The Liberal Party of Canada is well known for a lack of core beliefs and setting policy according to which way the wind is blowing. Many NDP members are unhappy with their party’s stance on Israel and at one time some held a demonstration in front of the party’s main office, whining about Mulcair not taking the side of the Hams.
The Liberals have a chance to pick up support from NDP voters who dislike their leader’s policy of a two state solution and the fact Israel has a right to defend itself.
The fact the statement about Israel firing indiscriminately at women and children was made by someone who is not only a Liberal MP wannabe but a senior advisor to Trudeau. It harkens a change in policy.
Federal Liberals follow the example of Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne
A column by Haroon Siddiqui published on Aug. 13 in the Liberal Party’s house organ, aka the Toronto Star, criticizes both the Liberals and the NDP for accepting Harper’s parameters that Israel has a right to defend itself and that Hamas is a terrorist organization. No doubt the Liberals see themselves as having the ability to pick up votes from the NDP by changing their Middle East views.
It would not be surprising if the federal Liberals follow the example of Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne. Despite heading the most corrupt and wasteful government in recent memory, Wynne was able to obtain a majority government by going to the left of the socialist NDP.
What better way to differentiate themselves from the official opposition than by bashing Israel.
There is another reason why Trudeau is likely to change his party’s policy on Israel and the Middle East. Close family friend, Fidel Castro, said the Mossad is behind the Islamic State. Surely the kid agrees with Uncle Fidel.
