Hey Canada, Shove It
We interrupt hour 17 of writing an argumentation paper to bring you this bad argument from Canada:
An 18-year-old man who was born in Jerusalem has lost his legal battle to have Israel shown as his birthplace on his Canadian passport. In a decision released Monday, the Federal Court ruled the government is justified in its policy of listing "Jerusalem" alone on passports because the city's status is unresolved... The government of Canada argued that since the same rule would apply to a Muslim or Christian born in Jerusalem, there is no discrimination on religious grounds. Justice Konrad von Finckenstein ruled that a change in policy might be misconstrued as a softening of Canada's position toward Israel's occupation, and could harm Canada's ability to act as an honest broker for peace in the Middle East.
They're right that this has nothing to do with Veffer's religious beliefs. But it has everything to do with the international community's fetishistic insistence that randomly humiliating Israel through legalistic rituals makes them seem credible. Seriously, it's very important for Canada to remain an honest broker. If they're really lucky, this vapid gesture may give them the last ounce of credibility to bring Israel and Hamas to the bargaining table. Because that's what's standing in the way of a reinvigorated peace process: Canada's willingness to insult Israelis.
An 18-year-old man who was born in Jerusalem has lost his legal battle to have Israel shown as his birthplace on his Canadian passport. In a decision released Monday, the Federal Court ruled the government is justified in its policy of listing "Jerusalem" alone on passports because the city's status is unresolved... The government of Canada argued that since the same rule would apply to a Muslim or Christian born in Jerusalem, there is no discrimination on religious grounds. Justice Konrad von Finckenstein ruled that a change in policy might be misconstrued as a softening of Canada's position toward Israel's occupation, and could harm Canada's ability to act as an honest broker for peace in the Middle East.
They're right that this has nothing to do with Veffer's religious beliefs. But it has everything to do with the international community's fetishistic insistence that randomly humiliating Israel through legalistic rituals makes them seem credible. Seriously, it's very important for Canada to remain an honest broker. If they're really lucky, this vapid gesture may give them the last ounce of credibility to bring Israel and Hamas to the bargaining table. Because that's what's standing in the way of a reinvigorated peace process: Canada's willingness to insult Israelis.
