As you may (if you live in Canada and possibly if you live in Israel, but unlikely if you live in the USA) have heard, our PM has gone to Israel. Why? Well, in part, since Canada is a middle power, we might never be entirely clear on what he's up to. Clearly, Canadian persuasion is not going to shift the peace talks in any particular direction. On the agenda (according to the CBC) are the free trade agreement, some transport agreement, and maybe a research institution partnership. Plus, the Canadian delegation will meet with Abu Mazen.
Bibi has welcomed Harper "as a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people" and thanked him for his support, that is his staunch and unquestioning support of Israel. And, perhaps the real reason for the trip: A park will be named after our PM. The Jewish Community of Toronto has fundraised for this honour and it's not just any park, it's a bird interpretive centre: the Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre. For a Canadian with an environmental bone in her body there is some irony in our PM -- who has been actively dismantling all the domestic environmental law he can via obfuscating omnibus budget bills -- having his name tagged to a major ecosystem rehabilitation project.
The Hula Valley marshlands were drained in the 1950s by the Jewish National Fund as part of its Zionist mandate to green and make bloom Greater Israel/Palestine. In time it became obvious that the drainage of the swamps was not such a great idea, not least because it diminished the quality of the water flowing into Lake Kinneret (Israel's major freshwater lake and reservoir). Concern with the draining of the Hula precipitated the creation of the Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel (SPNI) which remains a leading environmental NGO in Israel. Emek HaHula is a key stop on the route of migratory birds from and to Europe, Africa, and Asia. We might only hope Harper will be inspired enough to bring enthusiasm for ecosystem rehabilitation back to Canada with him. The Great Lakes Basin could use his support.
Bibi has welcomed Harper "as a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people" and thanked him for his support, that is his staunch and unquestioning support of Israel. And, perhaps the real reason for the trip: A park will be named after our PM. The Jewish Community of Toronto has fundraised for this honour and it's not just any park, it's a bird interpretive centre: the Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre. For a Canadian with an environmental bone in her body there is some irony in our PM -- who has been actively dismantling all the domestic environmental law he can via obfuscating omnibus budget bills -- having his name tagged to a major ecosystem rehabilitation project.
The Hula Valley marshlands were drained in the 1950s by the Jewish National Fund as part of its Zionist mandate to green and make bloom Greater Israel/Palestine. In time it became obvious that the drainage of the swamps was not such a great idea, not least because it diminished the quality of the water flowing into Lake Kinneret (Israel's major freshwater lake and reservoir). Concern with the draining of the Hula precipitated the creation of the Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel (SPNI) which remains a leading environmental NGO in Israel. Emek HaHula is a key stop on the route of migratory birds from and to Europe, Africa, and Asia. We might only hope Harper will be inspired enough to bring enthusiasm for ecosystem rehabilitation back to Canada with him. The Great Lakes Basin could use his support.
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