Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A PRIVATE VISIT WITH JOHN DIEFENBAKER

 
The Right Honourable
John Diefenbaker
PC, CH, QC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diefmontreal.jpg
13th Prime Minister of Canada
In office
June 21, 1957 – April 22, 1963

John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC (September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) led Canada as its 13th Prime Minister, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative (PC, or Tory) party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an election victory, doing so three times, although only once with a majority of the seats in the Canadian House of Commons.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 
 
HUFFINGTON POST
September 27, 2011

http://www.thecanadianpress.com/

OTTAWA - Canada used its United Nations speaking slot Monday to lambaste opponents of Israel as no better than the appeasers who allowed fascism and communism to flourish before the Second World War.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird delivered Canada's views to the General Assembly in a speech that put meat on the bones of the Harper government's unflinching support of Israel.

"Just as fascism and communism were the great struggles of previous generations, terrorism is the great struggle of ours. And far too often, the Jewish state is on the front line of our struggle and its people the victims of terror," says a prepared text of Baird's remarks.

"Canada will not accept or stay silent while the Jewish state is attacked for defending its territory and its citizens. The Second World War taught us all the tragic price of 'going along' just to 'get along.' " ....

On Valentines Day in the late 1960's, I had a private meeting with the then leader of the Canadian Opposition, John Diefenbaker, in his office across the street from the Houses of Parliamemt.

Mr. Diefenbaker wanted to know why I supported the Liberals.

What have the Liberals ever done for Israel ?

I told him that if he were running for the office of Prime Minister, I would have voted for him, but I could not vote for Robert Stanfield.

All these decades later, it is still the Conservatives who speak up for Israel.

Where are the Liberals today ?

 

1 comment:

Phyllis Carter said...

Correction: At the time, Robert Standfield was the leader of the Conservative Opposition in Parliament. Mr. Diefenbaker was still an M.P.