Israel nervous about Trudeau win

This article first appeared on The Media Line.

Many Israelis were disappointed with the results of Canada’s election and the victory of Justin Trudeau over Stephen Harper, who has been a strong advocate of Israel and Israeli policy.

“Not having Harper around is a very big loss for Israel,” Canadian-born Mordechai Nisan, a retired professor of political science at Hebrew University told The Media Line. “He stood out as a person who said explicitly to the Israelis and to the world that he would virtually always adopt a pro-Israeli stance.”

His pro-Israel ethos was shaped by his belief in the reestablishment of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland, Nisan said, as well as an understanding of the permanent threats Israel faces.

In a visit to Israel in 2014, Harper told a news conference that Canadians have learned the lesson that “when someone is a minority, a particularly small minority in the world, one goes out of one’s way to embrace them, not to single them out for criticism.”

When asked about continued Israeli building in areas that Israel acquired in 1967, Harper said, “When I’m in Israel, I’m asked to single out Israel, when I’m in the Palestinian Authority I’m asked to single out Israel, and half the other places around the world you ask me to single out Israel,” adding that he refused to do that.

The support of Canada became even more important to Israel as tensions rose between Netanyahu and President Obama. Having “North American support” was an important psychological boost. Nisan remembers Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, who came to power in 1968. Now the son, who shares his father’s good lucks and charisma, will become the second-youngest Prime Minister in Canada’s history.

Some Israeli analysts say there is no proof that Trudeau will be openly critical of Israel, and that it is worth giving him a chance.

“Israelis and the pro-Israel community which has a tendency to view the world as revolving around Israel see this as a catastrophe,” Gil Troy, a professor of politics at McGill University in Canada, who resides in Israel, told The Media Line. “But Trudeau has Jewish advisors, and many of the people around him have been to Israel. His father understood Israel and there is no indication that he will be any different.”

Troy said that Israel was not part of the Canadian election but that Harper lost because voters wanted to see a new face in politics.

“Israel’s enemies are going to try to pretend this is some kind of referendum on Harper’s foreign policy and his support for Israel,” Troy said. “The truth of this election was that all of the candidates – even the far-left NDP party are deeply committed to supporting Israel, believe in Israel’s legitimacy, and speak eloquently against boycott and divestment.”

Israeli officials refused to comment until Netanyahu made an official statement.