The Canadian government used to seen as one of the most progressive government. Such a label went beyond the domestic policies, but also turned the nation’s foreign policy. For instance, while its American neighbor hands out foreign aid along partisan lines, the Canadian government has a needs-only policy in giving out aid. This is more just and equitable. Canada only gives aid to those nations that are in need. In contrast to the United States which gives wealthy Israel - with a GDP per capital equal to Europe - more aid than all of Sub-Saharan Africa.

But in recent years, since the election of the Conservative government of Stephen Harper Canada was abandoned its previously liberal foreign policy orientation and embraced what can be termed as neo-conservative. Canada is not going to launch any wars, its army is a joke, but it has taken stands that even the Bush administration would not have and certainly not Barack Obama.

It was inevitable. Harper, then in the opposition, was a vocal and dogmatic supporter of the Iraq war. He was once visibly anger on the BBC in dismissing the United Nations and advocating support for the invasion of Iraq, which the Liberal Canadian government at the time opposed.

Besides Iraq, Harper has positioned Canada to be next to the United States in supporting Israel. When Israel bombed Lebanon in 2006, he called the attack “measured” at a time when even the United States issued a hollow call for restraint.

Sine then he has supported Israel’s assault on Gaza and stated that criticism of Israel is not based on any opposition to Israel’s policies but just pure anti-Semitism.

“Unfortunately, Israel at 60 remains a country under threat - threatened by those groups and regimes who deny to this day its right to exist... And why? Make no mistake, look beyond the thinly veiled rationalizations: Because they hate Israel, just as they hate the Jewish people,” he stated to a Jewish-Canadian organization marking the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel over Palestine.

As one blogger put it, “Harper’s linking of hatred of Israel with hatred of Jews is a way of closing down political criticism of Israel by inferring that its critics are anti-Semitic.” “Linking Israel and “the Jewish people” in this fashion, raises questions about Harper’s Zionist sympathies and evangelical affiliations. It is reminiscent of the language used by certain pro-Israel US pastors,” the blogger added.

The Canadian government has also taken up the practice of now banning speakers critical of Israel. For instance, it recently banned British MP George Galloway. A move pushed forward by pro-Israel Canadian groups. But while the Harper government does not believe Galloway should be allowed to speak, it does support the free speech rights of a radical Islamophobe: Brigitte Gabriel.

The National Post, a Canadian daily, wrote about Gabriel’s lecture. “A few hours later, at a Thursday evening lecture to a Jewish advocacy group, she would speak of the Muslim world as representing “inhumanity,” “evil” and “the enemy.”"

It further added, “Ms. Gabriel told her audience that the Prime Minister has twice intervened to permit her entry into Canada, in the face of efforts to keep her out.

“This is how bad you have it in Canada,” she said.

No one seemed to disagree, and yet they applauded the ban of Mr. Galloway.”

So Harper will personally intervene, apparently, to defend Brigitte’s Islamophobe, but thinks that critics of Israel, who are not anti-Semitic, should be denied freedom to speak in Canada.

Harper is adopting the standards of pro-Israel American groups who think they say whatever they want, but seek to silence critics of Israel.

As a Canadian columnist wrote,

Harper’s position is designed to silence and delegitimize even the mildest criticism of Israeli policies. . . .

Baker seems to want what Harper wants: Pro-Israeli voices should be heard loud and clear, but those who might question this or that policy of Israel should be silenced.

Recently the government’s fanatical Zionist Immigration Minister cut funds for a Canadian-Arab organization:

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made no apologies yesterday for ending the flow of funds to the Canadian Arab Federation, which he says has expressed support for terror groups. . . . Kenney said he is an “unapologetic supporter” of Israel.

He says the proudest moment in his career as immigration minister was when he withdrew Canada from next month’s United Nations-sponsored Durban II conference in Geneva.

But like nearly all supporters of Israel, he is not opposed to all terrorism only the terrorism that is against Israel: “In April 2006, Kenney attended a rally supporting the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, a group designated by Canadian federal legislation and UN agreements as a terrorist organization because it advocates the violent overthrow of the Iranian government and the purging of Western influence from the region. Kenney later claimed that he did not remember attending the rally, and then that he did not know at the time the group was connected to a terrorist organization.”

Kenney is not just a supporter of Israel, one can support Israel and not be anti-Arab. But Kenney is. His support for Israel is underpinned by his contempt for Arabs as when he had the temerity to say that the Lebanese prime minister should express gratitude of Canada’s support for Israel’s attack against the nation. “Saniora had argued that most nations of the world, apart from Canada, regarded Israel’s military actions in Lebanon as disproportionate and illegal. Kenney’s response was, “Canada took a responsible position and I would hope that the Lebanese prime minister would express gratitude.”"

Express gratitude? This is nothing more than thinly veiled racist contempt for Arabs, patronizing rhetoric that belongs to the era of colonialism. Kenney would never talk down to any other prime minister, but thinks he can with an Arab.

This is an unfortunate turn for what used to be an open-minded and progressive government. As the Lebanese-American scholar As’ad Abukhalil recently wrote, “I must say that the Canadian government has really changed in recent years. In the 1990s, I used to fly to Ottowa regularly performing consulting services with the Canadian government on matters relating to the Middle East. Back then, I was stunned with the open-mindedness and progressiveness of officials I dealt with. Things have changed.”

The solace that Palestinians and their allies can take is that Harper is out-of-step with Canadian public opinion. Unlike here in the United States, critics of Israel are not intimidated and support for the Palestinians runs highs, efforts by the Israeli ambassador, Harper and Kenney [and the Asper family] to attack Muslim political activism notwithstanding.