CANADA TO HAMAS: NO CONTACT, NO AID, NO JOKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000936 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL KWHG CA XF SUBJECT: CANADA TO HAMAS: NO CONTACT, NO AID, NO JOKE REF: A. (A) OTTAWA 00260 ¶B. (B) OTTAWA 00686 Classified By: POLMINCOUNS Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 29 Canada formally announced a policy of no contact and no aid to the newly installed Hamas-led Palestinian government. The decision was described by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Near East Division as being consistent with Canada's more robust engagement in the area and its desire to be a serious player in the region. Another senior DFAIT official suggested that the new government is going out of its way to differentiate itself from its Liberal predecessor, but in doing so is taking some "brash" decisions, such as the Hamas cutoff, that are not coordinated in the building or with international partners. This announcement makes Canada the first western nation to clarify and announce a formal "no contact, no aid" policy and asserts an unusually high profile for a country that often prefers to work behind the scenes. It is not yet clear where the new government wants to go in its Middle East policy, but it is certainly ripe for engagement. END SUMMARY -------------- CANADA IS FIRST WESTERN NATION TO CUT AID AND STATE NO CONTACT POLICY -------------- ¶2. (U) In an official press release issued on March 29, Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay and International Cooperation Minister Josee Verner formally rejected providing aid to a Hamas-led government whose "stated platform has not addressed the concerns raised by Canada and others concerning non-violence, the recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap for Peace." Declaring a "no contact" policy with members of the Hamas cabinet, the two ministers announced the suspension of assistance to the Palestinian Authority, reminding the Hamas government that a commitment "to the principles we and the international community have outlined remains an essential precondition for Canada to resume any assistance to the Palestinian Authority." Canada's 2005 assistance was estimated at $31.9 million (Cdn $36.7 million),including $8.3 million (Cdn $9.5 million) in direct technical assistance (reftel A). The government made clear, however, that it "will continue to support and respond to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people." A same-day statement from the Prime Minister's Office outlined Canada's staunch support of peace in the Middle East and stated its intent to "continue work with Mr. Olmert and President Mahmoud Abbas to reach that goal." ¶3. (C) Senior Policy Advisor for Israel Carole Piovesan characterized Canada's no contact/no aid policy as a "no joke" response that aligns GOC policy with Canada's Criminal Code, under which Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization. But there may be more to the story. In a briefing on Belarus (septel),Poloff was told by Eastern Europe and Balkans Division Director Pierre Guimond (protect) that the new government is intent on charting a different course from the Liberals and that decisions are being made by the PM and FM without consulting the bureaucracy or international partners. He was not grousing, just explaining how the government had gotten so far in front of the rest of the world on issues like Hamas and the recent condemnation of Belarus. -------------- Q -------------- CANADA CHANGES ITS UN VOTES ON ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN RESOLUTIONS -------------- ¶4. (C) On March 10, Canada switched from a 2005 abstention and joined the U.S. in opposing a resolution on the Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women in the UN Economic and Social Council, noting that its language failed to recognize the Palestinian Authority's role in circumscribing the rights of Palestinian women and unfairly focused the blame on Israel. Since 2004, Canada has changed its vote on no fewer than six resolutions related to Israel/Palestine for reasons ranging from displeasure with specific language to inappropriate use of fora to raise broad global issues to lack of objectivity. According to Piovesan, Canadian representatives have played a more active role in text negotiations and have coordinated with both Israeli and Palestinian delegations on particular issues of concern, including a global children's rights agenda. Last year, Canada was, with the U.S., a co-sponsor of Israel's first UNGA resolution on World Holocaust Remembrance Day. OTTAWA 00000936 002 OF 002 ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Over the past year, various Canadian Islamic and Arab NGOs have accused the previous and current governments of a "new" pro-Israel bias based on changes in Canada's voting on UN resolutions, a sentiment that will undoubtedly grow with the Hamas decision. Jewish groups remain guarded about the implications of Canada's actions. The country's Jewish population of approximately 300,000 is half the number of its Arab population, estimated at 650,000. For a government that was thought to be domestically focused, Harper and MacKay have staked out some very assertive positions, of which the Hamas decision was the most dramatic. It is not yet clear what the new government's overall position will be on the Middle East, or how it will want to expend political capital there. But these recent decisions certainly evince a willingness to be engaged and to change the status quo. It would be worthwhile to engage the new government on the Middle East in upcoming meetings. END COMMENT Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON