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April 8, 2005
The importance of Israel
Envoy asks for unwavering support from community.
PAT JOHNSON
Israel's diplomatic envoy to Western Canada says Diaspora Jews
should support the Jewish state, regardless of personal opinions
on the efficacy of specific policies.
"There's some good and devoted Jewish people [in North America]
who strongly oppose the policy of the Israeli government over disengagement,"
said Yaacov Brosh, Israel's consul general to Toronto and Western
Canada, during a visit to Vancouver last week. "They don't
believe that Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon took a right decision
when he decided about this disengagement. They believe it is a disaster
for Israel.
"I don't even come to argue if they are right or wrong,"
the diplomat continued, speaking to a crowd of about 50 invited
Jewish community leaders at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater
Vancouver. "Everyone is entitled to his or her private opinion
[but] if you are a Jew who lives abroad and declare that you support
the state of Israel, you support the state of Israel."
You can be a Jew who is anti-Israeli, Brosh said. "But you
can't be a Jew who declares that he is [pro-Israeli] but being pro-Israeli
only when it's convenient for you," he said.
"Because if you are pro-Israeli and especially if you are belonging
to an organization which is an advocacy organization or any other
support organization for Israel, you support Israel even if you
are not sure the Israeli government is taking the right step. Even
if you think that the Israeli government is wrong, you support it."
The reasons, Brosh said, include the fact that Israel is a democratic
state led by popularly elected leaders.
"Nobody abroad decides for the Israeli government, as important
or as devoted as he or she is," Brosh said. The most important
reason for this level of support, he continued, is mutual aid.
"We are certainly willing to support Jews around the world
where they are in need. Either in the former Soviet Union, because
of political reasons, or later because of economic reasons. Either
in South America because of economic reasons or in France because
of political reasons or anti-Semit[ic] reasons," Brosh said.
"We certainly expect the same attitude from the Jewish organizations
and Jewish individuals abroad.... Because we are there to help Jews
in need wherever it is, we expect the Jews to be there for us when
we are in any kind of need."
Brosh stressed that moral support for Israel is more important than
material support, even though the Diaspora contributes about $500
million US to Israel annually.
"It's a nice amount," said Brosh, "but it's not even
one per cent of Israel's national budget."
Conflict over the disengagement plan in Israel and abroad is a serious
concern, he noted, stating his hope that the tensions do not lead
to violence. He also warned that Palestinians and the larger Arab
world may take the wrong lesson from the Israeli disengagement policy.
"Many factions in the Arab societies around us and in the Palestinian
society already explain what the message from the Israeli disengagement
is. The lesson, according to [them is]: Israelis understand only
terror; that Israel withdrew because of the terror," Brosh
said.
If they are wise, Brosh added, the Palestinians will take the opposite
lesson.
"Four-and-a-half years ago, the Palestinian Authority controlled
48 per cent of the West Bank, almost 100 per cent of Gaza Strip.
Ninety-six per cent of the Palestinian population lived under the
domination of the Palestinian Authority," said Brosh. "What
did they have two months ago? Almost zero. Why? Because they initiated
this terror war.... Disengagement certainly shouldn't give them
the hope that terror ways will achieve more, because I'm afraid
they will have to learn the opposite lesson if they continue with
it."
Palestinian statehood will come through peaceful negotiation, he
said, not violence.
"Israel won't help very quickly to establish a Palestinian
state before we are more assured that this state will contribute
to the [region's] stability and [that it] will fight terror,"
he said. "Because we certainly don't want to help to create
... a sovereign Palestinian state which in the end of the day will
only be a shelter state for terrorists. That we won't allow."
Brosh's visit to the West Coast went much more smoothly than his
last visit a year ago. The consul general was prevented from speaking
at Simon Fraser University because of protesters. This time, his
presentation at SFU went off without a hitch, though it was not
without protesters, inside and outside the hall.
Brosh summarized the Israeli attitude to the new Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas, a couple of months into his reign. The new leader
has had little time to put his mark on the Palestinian regime, Brosh
acknowledged. He noted that Abbas has not yet succeeded in reducing
the proliferation of illegal weapons, though Palestinian media,
religious and school-based incitement to kill Jews seems to have
declined, Brosh said. Despite the mixed messages, Israelis are optimistic,
he said.
"Maybe we're not rational – and we're not always –
but we have hope," said Brosh. "With open eyes, we take
some very severe risks.... We hope that we won't be disappointed
again."
Audience members asked Brosh for more support from the Israeli government
for international trade between the two countries and for better
Israeli public relations in explaining its position to the world.
Citing a few specific trade projects – an Israeli company is
deeply involved in developing Alberta's oil sands and about half
of the B.C. lakes requiring purification are purified using Israeli
technologies, he said – Brosh acknowledged room for far more
bilateral trade.
"The potential is so much more than the relations are,"
he said. "The mutual trade between Israel and Canada for a
year is $1 billion Cdn. It's nothing."
Many Canadian delegations are coming to Israel for business meetings
and political contact, he added. Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell
and city councillor Tim Stevenson are expected in Jerusalem in August,
where they will lead the Vancouver delegation to WorldPride 2005,
a major international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered celebration.
Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.
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