Canadians went to the polls today for a federal election and handed the Conservative Party a resounding victory. To be sure, the party’s success was never in doubt. But the magnitude of their dominance was unclear. It certainly is not anymore. The Conservatives (or Tories) claimed 167 seats in Parliament, more than the 155 required to form a majority. Such numbers will make legislating much easier for the party and its stoic leader, Stephen Harper.
For Israel and its supporters around the world, the reelection of the Harper Tories bodes well. While members of the Quartet or President Obama often grab headlines with their statements regarding Israel-Palestine, Harper has often flown under the radar. Nevertheless, few recent political leaders have been as emphatic as him in their defense of the Jewish state.
Last October, Canada made an unsuccessful bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Many attributed this loss in part to Harper’s policy on Israel, which made Muslim countries loath to vote for Canada. Still, despite heavy criticism, Harper never backed down. About a month later, he vowed to stand with Israel “no matter the cost.”
Harper also stacked his previous cabinet with fellow Conservatives – many of whom agree with his stance on Israel. Current Minister of Foreign Affairs (the equivalent of Secretary of State) Lawrence Cannon is just one cabinet member who, while at times disagreeing with Israeli policy in East Jerusalem, has consistently voiced his support for the country. Harper will presumably follow a similar course of action when forming his next cabinet, virtually ensuring support for Israel in the upper echelons of Canadian government.
At a time when Israel faces increased diplomatic pressure and the prospect of a UN General Assembly vote on Palestinian statehood, friends may be hard to come by. But with Harper and the Conservatives officially in power in Canada, Israel can rest assured that it has at least one.
