Choice of New Canadian Ambassador to Israel Widely Criticized

By John Dirlik

Canadian-Jewish organizations seemed to be the only ones to welcome Ottawa's appointment as ambassador to Israel of David Berger, a former member of Parliament with a long record of anti-Palestinian bias.

As soon as rumors surfaced that Berger was destined for the coveted diplomatic post, the National Council of Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) issued a statement denouncing the government's potential choice. Berger's "ardent support during his parliamentary career for most of Israel's excesses—whether the invasion of Lebanon in 1982, or the widespread Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights—render him singularly inappropriate for this position," read the statement.

Berger's appointment was viewed by many observers as a reward for relinquishing his seat in the St. Henri-Westmount riding of Montreal during last year's by-election so the Liberal party could run a francophone star candidate in preparation for the upcoming referendum on Quebec sovereignty.

During his 16 years in the House of Commons, Berger was one of the most outspoken supporters of Israeli policies and harshest critics of the Palestinians. In 1983, only months after the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon, Berger enthusiastically defended a visit to Canada by Ariel Sharon despite local protests over the Israeli defense minister's role during the slaughter of Palestinian men, women and children. In 1984, Berger vociferously opposed the appearance before a parliamentary committee in Ottawa of the PLO's representative to the United Nations, and as recently as 1990 continued to call the PLO a "terrorist organization."

Berger "participated in the demonization of the PLO and the Palestinian cause," said NCCAR director Ian Watson. "This is pretty serious baggage" given that Berger will be responsible for relations with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority in Gaza and Jericho, he said.

In a subsequent letter published by the Ottawa Citizen, Watson charged that by "disregarding Palestinian sentiments, this nomination runs counter to the accepted practice of seeking approval from the principals in the receiving country. As far as we know, Canada did not seek approval for Mr. Berger's appointment from the Palestinian National Authority."

Watson's Canadian Arab Council stressed that its opposition to Berger's appointment has "nothing to do with Mr. Berger's ethnicity or faith." The NCCAR had, in fact, publicly welcomed the choice of Berger's predecessor, Norman Spector, when in 1992 he became the first Canadian Jew to serve as ambassador to Israel.

Middle East specialists were not the only groups to denounce Berger's nomination. "For a second time, the ambassador to Israel is a political appointment," said Susan Harper, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, which represents Canada's career diplomats. Neither Berger nor Spector were career diplomats prior to their appointments.

"For a second time, the ambassador to Israel is a political appointment."

Foreign Affairs Minister Andre Ouellet made no attempt to deny the charge that Berger's appointment was anything but patronage, an accusation that used to be routinely leveled by his own party against the former Conservative government. "My response to this is very simple. In government, you have a number of ambassadorial appointments that traditionally remain the prerogative of the government," Ouellet told reporters. "This is one of the very few cases of using this prerogative. As you look at the appointments that have been done by this government over a year and a half, we have appointed no more than three people who were not career diplomats. So our record overall is quite remarkable."

That explanation did not satisfy many media commentators. An editorial in the Montreal Gazette criticized Berger's appointment, saying that his "main qualification...is that [Prime Minister] Chrétien owed him a big favor." The Ottawa Citizen opined that Berger "lacks two qualifications that should be prerequisites for the job of ambassador," the first being diplomatic experience and the second "a personal background that is not open to controversy" among the concerned parties.

Berger dismissed the criticism, insisting that he was given the post because "Mr. Chrétien thought I would represent Canada well." Predictably, Jewish organizations welcomed the nomination. "The Jewish community is very pleased," said Mike Cohen, communications director of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Commenting on Berger being the second Jew in a row to be appointed by Ottawa as ambassador to Israel, an article in the Canadian Jewish News put it this way: "A nice tradition has begun."

Canadian Freed From Tunisian Jail

A Canadian-Tunisian man sentenced to five years' imprisonment in Tunisia for alleged ties to a banned Islamic party was released from jail after receiving a rare presidential pardon.

Kamal Masmoudi, who has lived in Montreal since 1987 and holds dual citizenship, was arrested in March while on a business trip to his country of birth and charged with ties to the banned Islamic Salvation Front. Masmoudi's lawyer in Montreal said her client confessed only after 12 days of interrogation, during which he was denied sleep and his asthma medication. His trial lasted only one hour, and a subsequent appeal was rejected.

Masmoudi's case received widespread support in Canada because the only evidence brought against him was that the firm he co-owned in Montreal had once hired a man with fundamentalist ties. Lobbying for Masmoudi's release was the Montreal-based International Centre for Human and Democratic Rights, as well as the Canadian ambassador in Tunis. Another of Masmoudi's supporters was Irwin Cotler, a well-known law professor usually associated with Zionist causes. Cotler argued that Tunisia had no legal right to imprison Masmoudi for alleged offenses committed in Canada.

A Tunisian journalist said the unexpected release was likely an attempt by Tunisia to maintain good relations with Canada. "In all my years I have never heard of a president striking down a decision by the court," said Amid Gmati. "The opinion of Canada is important."

John Dirlik, a free-lance writer from Quebec, writes on Canadian and Middle East affairs.