This story is already a few days old, but my blood is still boiling.
Canadian diplomatic officials stated that when Canadian Ambassador to Israel Donald Sinclair refused to make a condolence call to the Beitar Illit home of terror victim Hezi Goldberg, he was acting in accordance to his governmentís policy. Hezi Goldberg, a resident of Beitar Illit, was one of 11 persons murdered in the suicide bombing attack on board a Jerusalem number 19 bus on 29 January. Goldberg was a Canadian citizen, who also served in the Canadian army.
The ambassador explained to the grieving family that he cannot visit them since they are located in the ìWest Bank,î and his governmentís policy prohibits him from coming. He did offer to meet family members in Jerusalemís King David Hotel but they declined, explaining such an arrangement would be an insult to Heziís memory.
It is strange, since I did not hear about such a Canadian government policy when this happened:
Israeli soldiers stopped New Democrat MP Svend Robinson as he tried to enter Ramallah Saturday to see Yasser Arafat at the Palestinian leader’s besieged compound.
After he announced his intentions at an army checkpoint, Robinson debated with a soldier who told him he would not be allowed into what has become a military zone.
“I’m here to meet with the president and bring a message of solidarity on behalf of the Palestinian people, to promote peace,” the NDP foreign affairs critic said.
Robinson said he didn’t need Israel’s permission to enter Palestinian land.
“In the eyes of the international community legally, in the eyes of the Canadian government, you have no authority to block me from proceeding,” he said.
