“The Canadians were really very adamant, even though Obama expressly referred to 1967 borders in his speech last week,” one European diplomat told Reuters News Agency.
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said Mr. Harper’s veto left Canada isolated from its traditional allies. “I don’t see how this helps our relationship with our best friend and neighbour to the south,” he said in an interview, referring to President Obama’s support for negotiations based on the 1967 borders, “and I certainly don’t see how this helps the peace process.”
Rather than constructively contributing to a balanced solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Canadian government had been reduced to a cheerleader for Israel, he said. “Are we in fact going to help build bridges and support the [peace] process, or are we simply going to be on the sidelines cheering for whatever Mr. Netanyahu states?”