Canada's Foreign Policy and the Arab-Israel Conflict

Book excerpt: Using the historical and comparative approaches of study, this book traces the roots of the Arab-Israel conflict in general and the Palestine-Israel conflict in particular, as well as Canada’s role in the thorny issue of the conflict and peace processes through multilateral fora and institutions. It shows that the Canadian perception and policy, while uniquely Canadian, have operated within the broader Anglo-American framework of support for a Jewish ‘homeland’ and the two state theory. The book argues that three significant factors have impacted Canada’s outlook and actions. Firstly, Canada’s perception and policy towards the Arab-Israel conflict have been shaped by religio-cultural and historical factors, rather than by its acclaimed Liberal Internationalism. Second, growing economic and commercial interests after the 1973 Arab-Israel War and its perceived national interest made it adopt a more nuanced and balanced approach towards the conflict. Finally, it argues that the elite perception, the initiatives by Lester Pearson, and the presence of an active Jewish community have had a significant influence on Canadian perception towards the Arab-Israel conflict.