A generation ago, the Liberal Party could comfortably rely on the vast majority of Jewish-Canadian votes at election time.
After nearly a decade of Stephen Harper’s government, the Conservatives get more than half of the Jewish vote and the Liberals less than a quarter.
I’ve always wondered why.
There’s no question Stephen Harper has been the most pro-Israeli prime minister in Canadian history, and that’s not just because he has a conservative simpatico going on with that country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Conservative MPs have told me that Harper once gave a speech in caucus that was really quite remarkable. He related a story of his father telling him, “Stephen, the Jewish people have suffered greatly in this world. If you’re ever in a position to do something for them, you must.”
I’ve had numerous people who are in position to know tell me that Harper’s support for Israel cannot be attributed to pandering for Jewish votes. They insist he has a deep commitment to Israel and the Jewish community and is happy to articulate that support whenever the situation calls for it.
However, a closer look at several of the issues that matter to Israel and many in the Canadian Jewish community shows Harper has actually done nothing about them. He hasn’t moved the yardsticks at all.
Israel may be the only country in the world where foreign embassies aren’t in its capital city, Jerusalem, but rather in Tel Aviv, a less disputed place. Harper has been prime minister for almost a decade, but our embassy is still in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981. The Canadian government has never recognized that annexation and Harper hasn’t changed that policy.
Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War. Then in 1980, it declared Jerusalem a unified, undivided city under its control. Canada has never officially recognized that unified status. Harper has not changed that policy either.
Canada’s official position on Israel’s building new settlements in the occupied territories (or Judea and Samaria as Israel refers to them) is that we don’t support those new settlements. Harper has held to that policy – he opposes further settlement construction as well.
So on some of the biggest issues facing Israel (and by extension the Canadian Jewish community), Harper has simply continued the longstanding position of previous Canadian governments – even Liberal governments.
And yet, he has garnered tremendous new support from the Canadian Jewish community. Why?
This week is the Jewish New Year and I’ve had an opportunity to discuss this question with dozens of members of the Jewish community, representing many political points of view. The same answer comes back time and again: people like Harper’s tone. He may not have actually done anything to change Canadian policy. But more and more Jews feel his heart is in the right place.
“He’s prepared to stand up and support the only democracy in the region,” one told me. “He won’t let the United Nations run roughshod over Israel.”
“He calls a terrorist a terrorist when he sees one,” says another. “And that’s good enough for me.”
It’s a further reminder that politics is not always about policy. In fact, nowadays, it may be less about policy than ever, given the relatively small differences among our mainstream parties. Unlike in some countries, we do not have Marxists competing against fascists for our votes. We have parties that are relatively centre-left or centre-right.
It’s a reminder that personality and trust – having a sense of whether that leader is for me or against me – is the key. Given the lack of progress on issues many Jews care about, what you think is apparently more important at times than what you actually do.
Pundits take note.
Image credit: Jason Ransom, pm.gc.ca
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