From the Toronto Star:
OTTAWA—Canada stood alone before a United Nations human rights council yesterday, the only one among 47 nations to oppose a motion condemning the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
The vote before the Geneva-based body shows the Stephen Harper government has abandoned a more even-handed approach to the Middle East in favour of unalloyed support of Israel, according to some long-time observers.
Thirty-three countries voted for the strongly worded motion, which called for an investigation into “grave” human rights violations by Israeli forces, while 13 nations, mostly European, abstained.
The United States, regarded as Israel’s greatest ally, is not a member of the council.
Marius Grinius, Canada’s representative on the council, said the language of the motion, which accused Israel of sparking a humanitarian crisis, was “unnecessary, unhelpful and inflammatory.”
He said the text failed to “clearly recognize” that Hamas rocket attacks on Israel triggered the crisis.
Canada’s being an oil-exporting country probably helped them vote their conscience.
This is another confirmation that the United Nations Human Rights Council has become absurd.




