ishmael n. daro

A new AngusReid survey of attitudes about the Middle-East (i.e. Israel and Palestine) in Canada, the United States and Great Britain shows some interesting figures.

The key findings are that over 40 per cent of citizens in all three countries don’t think the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will ever be resolved and many believe their respective governments should stay out of the conflict altogether. That sentiment was highest in Britain at 53 percent and 44 per cent of Canadians and Americans felt that way.

This is not really surprising given that the conflict has been raging for over 60 years. Especially given the myriad setbacks of the last decade, people in the three countries can be forgiven for wanting to turn their backs and forget about the whole thing and for thinking that the conflict will never be resolved. The sad result of this general apathy is that a settlement to the dispute is less likely because lacking international pressure, both Israeli and Palestinian factions that benefit from the continued struggle will have more license to continue doing what they have been.

Asked what side they sympathized with more, respondents in the three countries said:

Americans’ pro-Israel attitudes str striking when compared to Canada, where sympathies are evenly split at 14 per cent, and Great Britain where the Palestinians have greater support. Yet, the biggest group, a third in all three countries, supports neither side. As people get more and more disinterested in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, the likelihood of a settlement continues to shrink, and with it, the hopes of Palestinians to end their long period of statelessness.

My belief is that these numbers are an outgrowth of the biggest myth peddled to Western audiences about the Middle-East, that the conflict continues because it is so complicated.

Although there are clearly many facets to the conflict — the Right of Return, settlements, sharing the Temple Mount, etc. — media reports almost instinctually close most discussions of Israel and Palestine with a declaration of “Remember, it’s really, really complicated!” For example, when the CBC’s Wendy Mesley reported on Stephen Harper’s radical reshaping of foreign policy and adopting an unquestioningly pro-Israel stance at the expense of Canada’s international reputation, she felt she had to close the report with a cop-out: “It’s always been complicated; it looks like it still is.” This came after her own report showing convincingly that, at least in the case of Canadian foreign policy, it was not all that complicated and that the Conservative government was altering long-established principles for political gain — securing the so-called Jewish vote.

But despite such frequent declarations, most people generally agree on the following points:

There needs to be a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine existing peacefully next to a secure Israel.

That part, at least, does not seem very complicated. Certainly achieving that result will take plenty of effort and compromise, but too frequently people accept the “complicated” argument as a reason to give up.

Asked in the AngusReid survey whether they supported the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, respondents from Canada, the U.S. and Britain said:

Even more disturbing than the one in five Americans who actively oppose a Palestinian state (seriously, WTF?) is the over 40 per cent in all three countries that is somehow unsure how to feel about it. Given that a two-state solution is the only way to end the Middle-East conflict (other than total annihilation of one side by the other) it is mind-boggling that so many people can look at the situation and shrug their shoulders.

The Toronto Star reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is seeking a replacement for Governor General Michaëlle Jean after her latest two-year term expires. Jean, a former CBC broadcaster, was appointed in 2005 by then-Prime Minster Paul Martin to replace another former broadcaster, Adrienne Clarkson.

Jean has presided over three minority parliaments and had to deal with two contentious decisions by Stephen Harper to prorogue Parliament. She acquiesced both times, but apparently her reluctance to do so in December of 2008, only weeks after a general election, gave Harper reason to start looking elsewhere. This is surprising given Jean’s popularity. According to an AngusReid poll, 57 per cent of respondents approve of Jean’s performance as Governor General, and just 26 per cent disapprove.

That same survey, however, finds that 38 per cent of Canadians do not believe the position should exist while another 22 per cent would like to have a Governor General who is elected by the people. Only 29 per cent of respondents support the status quo.