KURTENBACH: Crimea and Palestine

[Oscar]

KURTENBACH: Crimea and Palestine

April 14, 2014

To the Editor,

It is absolutely mind-boggling trying to understand Prime Minister Harper's line of reasoning: He apparently is outraged by the Russian (Putin's) takeover of Crimea.

Let us consider what has taken place in Crimea, and compare it to what is happening and has taken place in Palestine.

A referendum was held in Crimea establishing a result that a majority of the citizens of Crimea voted to again be part of Russia. No one in the international community disputed the result of that referendum. There were no reports of people being gunned down or killed during the referendum.

Now let us review what has taken place in a country that, in 1948, was known as Palestine. Israeli leaders, with the help of their military, came to Palestine 64 years ago. They started building settlements on land that was inhabited by Arabs, Jews, Muslims and Christians. The Israeli military forced Palestinians who were not Jewish to leave their homes and settle in refugee camps not yet affected by Israeli settlements -- or they moved to nearby Jordan or Syria.

Over the ensuing years, Israeli leaders kept on expanding settlements. Palestinians who refused to move out were imprisoned. MintoPress News reported that since 2000, Israeli military had killed 22 journalists. In desperation, some Palestinians started firing rockets into Israeli settlements. Then, in 2009, the Israeli military launched a 22-day invasion and bombing of Gaza, killing and wounding over 1000 civilians, including women and children. Public buildings were targeted and destroyed, involving substantial collateral damage.

Prime Minister Harper's response to the Israeli war on Gaza was that it was "a measured response"! Then, on a recent visit to Israeli's Knesset, [Parliament] our PM Harper assured Israel, and their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that we [I presume he meant Canada] would support Israel, "through fire and water we will stand with you"!

Is Harper really speaking on behalf of the majority of Canadians? And why would he make that promise when his government received the support of only 40% of the Canadians who voted?

Leo Kurtenbach,
Saskatoon, SK
Phone: (306) 652-5129.