Trip a success, says MP

Svend Robinson says his recent visit to the Middle East accomplished what he set out to do, even though he was not permitted passage to Ramallah, where he had hoped to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Robinson, foreign affairs critic for the federal New Democratic Party and member of Parliament for Burnaby-Douglas, has been harshly critical of Israeli government policy and said he made the trip to get a perspective on the situation and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. What he heard, he told the Bulletin, reinforced his view that Israel is the aggressor and Palestinians the victims of a “brutal, violent and illegal occupation.” He added that many Israelis agree with him.

“Many Israelis with whom I met from the peace community, including members of the Israeli Knesset and reservists who are refusing to serve [in the occupied territories] agree that Sharon’s destructive policies put more Israelis at risk,” said Robinson.

Asked why he went to show solidarity with Palestinian victims, rather than all victims – Arab and Jew – in the conflict, Robinson acknowledged that the suffering knows no bounds.

He went on, however, to differentiate between the actions of a government and the actions of terrorist organizations, claiming that Israel is responsible for the hopelessness among Palestinians that leads to desperate acts like suicide bombings.

“If they have no sense of hope whatsoever, that will give rise to more suicide bombers and that affects the lives of Israelis,” said Robinson.

Peace is in the hands of Israel, he argued, suggesting that terror attacks would end when Palestinians have their own state.

“The best outcome is ... for the occupation to end, for both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people to live in security each in their own space, free of outside threats,” he said.

Robinson said he had spoken to Palestinian leaders on the issue of human rights – such as respect for women – and has assurances that a potential state would not join the existing range of autocratic and theocratic regimes around the Arab world.

“I would hope that the Palestinian people would respect the importance of democracy and human rights, just as I would hope that Israel would,” he said.

In an interview with the Bulletin earlier this year, Robinson emphatically expressed his support for Israel to exist in peace within defined borders. He said he should be able to express opposition to the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon without being seen as anti-Israel.

“The most appalling and sad attack that I’ve received from some elements of the Jewish community has been that somehow, by opposing Sharon’s policies, that this is anti-Semitism,” he said. “This is so profoundly appalling, but it’s also personally offensive. There are many Jews in the Lower Mainland who have communicated with me their strong support for the position I’ve taken. So to suggest that somehow to disagree with Sharon’s policy is evidence of anti-Semitism when my entire political career I have fought anti-Semitism, is particularly sad and regrettable.”

Robinson met last fall with representatives of Canadian Jewish Congress in a congenial discussion that reassured those in attendance that the NDP not only supports but respects and admires Israel.

Nisson Goldman, chair of CJC, Pacific Region, said Robinson’s recent statements make him question the sincerity with which Robinson spoke at that meeting.

“Our impression was that Mr. Robinson was not anti-Israel after we met with him,” said Goldman. Robinson tried to convince CJC representatives he had a balanced approach to the situation.

“Now it turns out that he doesn’t,” Goldman said. “I think Svend Robinson is unpredictable. I don’t think you can tell what he will say next.”

Michael Elterman, national associate chair of CJC, was similarly disappointed in Robinson’s recent actions.

“What I make of it is he came to Congress, to the Congress office, and told us what he thought we wanted to hear,” said Elterman. Robinson’s actions and recent comments by his party leader Alexa McDonough are symptomatic of what Elterman describes as typical NDP knee-jerk policy-making that ignores the facts on the ground.