The Muslim Link’s Ayesha Aslam reviews Yves Engler’s primer on Canada-Israel relations.

Writer/activist Yves Engler’s new book Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid is an embodiment of history, information, and hard fact. In very simple words, Mr.Engler has explained Canada’s bias towards Israel and how Canadian government has molded its policies to suit those of Israel.

He has pointed out that Canada’s trade policies are also designed to facilitate Israel; and Canadian goods and services are provided to the areas where major population is Jewish. Mr. Engler has also observed that the Canadian government seemed to support Israel’s military action against Palestine although it was simply unjustified and immoral since Palestinian land was snatched from them to be given to Israel and hundreds of Palestinian families were rendered homeless and helpless.

Mr. Engler rests his argument on the fact that Canada’s favoritism towards Israel springs from Zionism which has its basis in Christianity and although Canada shifted its foreign policies from pleasing British to pleasing America, its paternal attitude towards Israel remained the same. He has also mentioned almost all Canadian leaders have been pro-Israel and have always supported Israel in its wrongdoings especially towards Palestine. Mr. Engler does not base his argument on hearsay but on meticulous research. He supports his writing by providing proofs of military and business links between Israel and Canada which clearly show Canada’s inclination to support Israel through thick and thin.

Mr. Engler refutes the idea that Canada has been impartial in its attitude towards the Israel-Palestine crisis and states, "Our government has taken Canada's foreign policy, which was always at least 80 per cent pro-Israel and moved it to 99.9 per cent pro-Israel at a time when the most right-wing government in the history of Israel is in power."

"Our government has taken Canada's foreign policy, which was always at least 80 per cent pro-Israel and moved it to 99.9 per cent pro-Israel at a time when the most right-wing government in the history of Israel is in power." – Yves Engler, author, activist

Mr. Engler begins his book by noting that most Canadians believe in Canada’s position in the world as an honest peacemaker; that “most Canadians believe that their government should treat all citizens equally; that everyone born in Canada is a Canadian”; and that they support the Charter of Rights and Freedom which prohibits discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, and place of origin.

But Mr. Engler says these views are based on illusion. He points out that Israel follows a total antithesis of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom and prides itself on its policy of one religion; not allowing millions of people to vote; and furthermore not allowing millions of others to become its citizens. Nevertheless, Canada’s support of Israel is unrelenting and undying.

Mr. Engler’s language is subtle and thought provoking. He has supported all his arguments with historical data or information from direct sources and leaves no room for doubt. He notes that when most Canadians are confronted by the facts he provides in his book they will be “troubled, upset, and even angry at what is being done in their name”. 

The ending of the book is more like a wake-up call for all Canadians and people all over the world to open their eyes to the injustice that is being conducted under the guise of foreign policies and find reasonable solutions.