I caught an interview on the CBC this morning with Peter Kent, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs for the Americas. He was asked to comment on the latest round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians that had taken place in Washington this week.
When asked about Canada’s more blindly supportive role of Israel under the leadership of Prime Stephen Harper, Kent replied, “Our policy in the Middle East is completely balanced. There is no moral equivalency between terror and democracy”, sounding a lot like the hasbara talking points that I alluded to in a previous post. As a matter of fact, phrases like this actually sound more like the official talking points of the Conservative government of which Minister Kent is a part.
Minister Kent explains this in a November 2009 interview with Steve Paikin:
PK: One of the strengths of our government and one of the shortcomings of the opposition parties is that we make sure everyone knows what our government’s position is. We make sure we speak to issues with a united voice.
SP: So that’s why you, and the prime minister, and other ministers all end up using the exact same quotes when you answer questions?
PK: Yes. So when we’re asked about the Israeli position on settlements, we never criticize Israel publicly. We say those settlements are “unhelpful” in finding a comprehensive peace settlement.
This type of careful, diplomatic language is the norm between states. But we must remember that Peter Kent is a highly respected journalist who has worked as a newsmaker in a variety of capacities for the past four decades. As a former anchor, he is a trusted name and face for many Canadians.
So when Minister Kent refers to the 2008 Gaza War as “the Gaza Incursion” as he did several times this morning, his ability to sanitize the language of the conflict can have a dangerous effect on the way crimes against humanity committed during that war are understood by viewers. An incursion doesn’t bring to mind any of the willful destruction that was the Gaza War and there is no mention of the condemnation of Israeli military actions that came from the international community and human rights organizations, including the UN-sponsored Goldstone Report. (download link included below)
If Minister Peter Kent describes the Gaza War as an "incursion" and we've also been told that the Conservative government always "speaks to issues with a united voice", then we can infer that this is the official position of the current Canadian government. According to the Canadian government, there was no Gaza war.
So when Minister Kent refers to the 2008 Gaza War as “the Gaza Incursion” as he did several times this morning, his ability to sanitize the language of the conflict can have a dangerous effect on the way crimes against humanity committed during that war are understood by viewers. An incursion doesn’t bring to mind any of the willful destruction that was the Gaza War and there is no mention of the condemnation of Israeli military actions that came from the international community and human rights organizations, including the UN-sponsored Goldstone Report. (download link included below)
If Minister Peter Kent describes the Gaza War as an "incursion" and we've also been told that the Conservative government always "speaks to issues with a united voice", then we can infer that this is the official position of the current Canadian government. According to the Canadian government, there was no Gaza war.
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