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Dealing with Middle East issues and our role in building bridges
Photos are Hill Times Article; Bill With Israeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Legislature Speaker Ahmed Qurei
Dealing with Middle East issues became some of the most fascinating and meaningful aspects of my career in politics. I first got involved when the Rt Honourable Joe Clark appointed me as Foreign Affairs Critic for the Progressive Conservative Party.
My first initiative in that role was to contact the Israeli Embassy and ask for a briefing on Middle East issues. After the meeting with the Israelis, I contacted the Palestinian office in Ottawa and asked for a briefing from their point of view.
To my amazement, neither side criticized the other in their discussions, but they both said Canada has an important role to play and that Canada is not playing that role. They both said Canada is well respected on both sides and could build bridges that others could not.
When I reported this back to my leader, Joe Clark, he suggested that I invite the Israeli representative and the Palestinian representative to our caucus of 20 Progressive Conservative MPs. I invited them both, and they both accepted. This would be the first time they had been in the same room together• or even met.
In anticipation of the meeting, I prepared background information so that I could introduce each one. To my amazement, they were both born in the same town: Ramla. The Palestinian representative was born in Ramla before the United Nations divided the Palestinian Region, and the Israeli was born in Ramla after the United Nations division that put Ramla in Israel.
When the two representatives arrived at our caucus meeting, I introduced them and told them about this common denominator. They were startled at first, and then the Palestinian asked questions of the Israeli about the town of Ramla to determine if it was the same as when his family left in 1948. It was a fascinating discussion unfolding before our very eyes. It was as if the MPs were not there, and it was just the two of them talking. Talking!
From this meeting, I came up with a proposal to bring Israeli and Palestinian legislators to Canada to meet with Canadian MPs to start a three-way dialogue on how to resolve some of the issues. I met with the Liberal Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable John Manley, who agreed that this was a good idea, but he said that his budget was completely depleted for that year. Maybe next year.
I went back to my office thinking that this was worth a little more effort. I wrote letters to a wide range of organizations, businesses, and individuals and asked for donations. Every single one of them sent me money or offered services.
For instance, Air Canada offered all of the airfare free of charge for all of the MPs participating. Ford Motor Company offered all of the vehicles necessary. Mr. Gerry Schwartz of Onex Corp sent a generous contribution, as did the Bank of Nova Scotia and several others. Saint Mary’s University offered facilities and translation, and the City of Halifax offered their facilities as well. Jewish and Muslim organizations in Canada both added money or assistance. It all happened very fast.
In a short time, I was able to go back to Minister John Manley to ask if he still thought that it was a good idea. Again, he said yes, but his budget for the year was spent. I then told him that I had raised enough money for everything except police and security. After a short hesitation, he said, “I’m going to Israel next week, so why don’t you come with me? I will be meeting with the leaders, and you can meet with the legislators to see if you can make progress.”
That became a mission for me, which extended over several years and included many incredible encounters. At one point, I was startled to find myself taking messages from the Palestinian Legislature to the Israeli Knesset… and back.
Then one Saturday morning, I was in my Amherst office chatting with my friend Jack Kline when the phone rang. When I answered it, an accented voice said, “Hold for President Yasser Arafat.” When President Arafat came on the line, he asked me if I would approach the Americans to see if Canada could join the Quartet Peace Process. I agreed to make the approach… and that is another story.
If I had not experienced it all myself… I wouldn’t even believe it. It is a long story which I am writing as we speak and will someday hopefully publish.
I still believe the messages that the Palestinian representative and the Israeli representative gave to me years ago, and that is that Canada can play a role in building bridges if we just take the initiative.
Thanks for reading,
Bill
Dealing with Middle East issues became some of the most fascinating and meaningful aspects of my career in politics. I first got involved when the Rt Honourable Joe Clark appointed me as Foreign Affairs Critic for the Progressive Conservative Party.
My first initiative in that role was to contact the Israeli Embassy and ask for a briefing on Middle East issues. After the meeting with the Israelis, I contacted the Palestinian office in Ottawa and asked for a briefing from their point of view.
To my amazement, neither side criticized the other in their discussions, but they both said Canada has an important role to play and that Canada is not playing that role. They both said Canada is well respected on both sides and could build bridges that others could not.
When I reported this back to my leader, Joe Clark, he suggested that I invite the Israeli representative and the Palestinian representative to our caucus of 20 Progressive Conservative MPs. I invited them both, and they both accepted. This would be the first time they had been in the same room together• or even met.
In anticipation of the meeting, I prepared background information so that I could introduce each one. To my amazement, they were both born in the same town: Ramla. The Palestinian representative was born in Ramla before the United Nations divided the Palestinian Region, and the Israeli was born in Ramla after the United Nations division that put Ramla in Israel.
When the two representatives arrived at our caucus meeting, I introduced them and told them about this common denominator. They were startled at first, and then the Palestinian asked questions of the Israeli about the town of Ramla to determine if it was the same as when his family left in 1948. It was a fascinating discussion unfolding before our very eyes. It was as if the MPs were not there, and it was just the two of them talking. Talking!
From this meeting, I came up with a proposal to bring Israeli and Palestinian legislators to Canada to meet with Canadian MPs to start a three-way dialogue on how to resolve some of the issues. I met with the Liberal Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable John Manley, who agreed that this was a good idea, but he said that his budget was completely depleted for that year. Maybe next year.
I went back to my office thinking that this was worth a little more effort. I wrote letters to a wide range of organizations, businesses, and individuals and asked for donations. Every single one of them sent me money or offered services.
For instance, Air Canada offered all of the airfare free of charge for all of the MPs participating. Ford Motor Company offered all of the vehicles necessary. Mr. Gerry Schwartz of Onex Corp sent a generous contribution, as did the Bank of Nova Scotia and several others. Saint Mary’s University offered facilities and translation, and the City of Halifax offered their facilities as well. Jewish and Muslim organizations in Canada both added money or assistance. It all happened very fast.
In a short time, I was able to go back to Minister John Manley to ask if he still thought that it was a good idea. Again, he said yes, but his budget for the year was spent. I then told him that I had raised enough money for everything except police and security. After a short hesitation, he said, “I’m going to Israel next week, so why don’t you come with me? I will be meeting with the leaders, and you can meet with the legislators to see if you can make progress.”
That became a mission for me, which extended over several years and included many incredible encounters. At one point, I was startled to find myself taking messages from the Palestinian Legislature to the Israeli Knesset… and back.
Then one Saturday morning, I was in my Amherst office chatting with my friend Jack Kline when the phone rang. When I answered it, an accented voice said, “Hold for President Yasser Arafat.” When President Arafat came on the line, he asked me if I would approach the Americans to see if Canada could join the Quartet Peace Process. I agreed to make the approach… and that is another story.
If I had not experienced it all myself… I wouldn’t even believe it. It is a long story which I am writing as we speak and will someday hopefully publish.
I still believe the messages that the Palestinian representative and the Israeli representative gave to me years ago, and that is that Canada can play a role in building bridges if we just take the initiative.
Thanks for reading,
Bill