Harper and Israeli PM not discussing G8 about

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Harper and Israeli PM not discussing G8 resolution on 1967 borders: spokesperson

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said there was no discussion between the prime minister and the leader of Israel about blocking G8 leaders from supporting a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.


“Prime Minister Harper has spoken to various leaders in the last few days, including the Israeli prime minister as well as the head of the Arab League,” spokesperson Dimitri Soudas told Postmedia News in an email. “Actually, there was no G8 discussion with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu.


“It’s important that any statement on the Middle East always have balanced references to the various positions and the G8 statement is a balanced statement,” Soudas wrote. He added that Harper’s views on the Middle East peace process and two state solution are well known. “Canadian policy on these issues is long-standing,” he wrote.


On Saturday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Netanyahu phoned Harper on Tuesday following the Israeli prime minister’s speech to U.S. Congress, where he insisted his country would not return to the “indefensible borders” that existed before the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza.


The newspaper quotes an anonymous Israeli government source as saying that Israel was concerned about the potential of G8 support for U.S. President Barack Obama’s call for negotiations based on the 1967 borders and land swaps.


The senior government official said Netanyahu told Harper that support for the 1967 borders in the G8’s official statement would be detrimental to Israeli interests.

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“Canada is a true friend of Israel and with a realistic and proper view of things, it understands that the 1967 borders do not conform to Israel’s security needs and with the current demographic reality,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Haaretz.


Reuters previously quoted diplomatic sources who said that Harper insisted at the G8 summit there be no reference in a resolution to Israel’s borders before 1967.


“The Canadians were really very adamant, even though Obama expressly referred to 1967 borders in his speech last week,” a European diplomat told the news agency.


The G8 resolution made at the summit last week ultimately expressed “strong support” for Obama’s vision set out in the speech, but did not mention 1967 borders.


Harper has said he has no problem with Obama’s speech, saying it had to be considered in its “entirety.”


Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during a closing news briefing at the G8 summit in Deauville, France on Friday. Harper was asked by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to block G8 leaders from supporting a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, an Israeli newspaper said on Saturday.



Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (3rd R) and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat (4th R) attend a special cabinet meeting marking Jerusalem Day at the Tower of David Museum, near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City May 29, 2011