<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Canadian Prime Minister is the Only Leader to Stand with Israel at G8&nbsp;Summit]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>PNN &#8211; Palestine News Network</p>
<p><strong>30.05.11 &#8211; 11:40 France &#8211; PNN &#8211; Victoria Delacroix- You wouldn’t have guessed it by looking at Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper that he would be a rebel, a guy that goes against the crowd. But that’s just what he did this past weekend at the G8 summit. </strong></p>
<div class="mosimage" style="float:right;border-width:2px;" align="center"><img title="Image" src="https://i1.wp.com/english.pnn.ps/images/stories/2008/CanadaPMHarperG82011.jpg" alt="Image" width="314" height="214" border="0" hspace="6" /></p>
<div class="mosimage_caption" style="text-align:center;" align="center">Canadian PM Stephen Harper at G8</div>
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<p>Unlike all the other leaders, including Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy, who believe that the feverish Arab spring, especially this one, is the right time to seize opportunity and a lasting peace in the powder keg of the 21st century, Mr. Harper took a firm stand with the nation that is the most opposed to any shaking up of the status quo- Israel.</p>
<p>“Canada is clearly at one extreme end of a continuum on the Israel issue, but we are not an outlier,” said John Kirton, the director of the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.</p>
<p>Harper wagged his finger at any talk of peace negotiations in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that started with returning to the pre-1967 borders. Harper said that unless the G8 declaration also had mention of  concessions be that should made by Palestinians- as Mr. Obama hinted in his speech last week- Harper  won’t support it.</p>
<p>“I think if you’re going to get into other elements, obviously I would like to see reference to elements that were also in President Obama’s speech,” Mr. harper said.  “Such as, for instance, the fact that one of the states must be a Jewish state and the fact that the Palestinian state must be demilitarized.”</p>
<p>The French Prime Minister, without naming his Canadian counterpart, was somewhat irked by Harpers unwillingness to co-operate.</p>
<p>“I think it’s appropriate to talk about the 1967 border, because we can’t talk about borders without specifying which ones,” he said.</p>
<p>In the end the G8’s finally declaration did not achieve much; instead it called for peace negotiations now, but sadly did not refer to any borders. They said a lot without saying anything concrete.</p>
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<p><a href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=10123&amp;Itemid=61">Source</a></p>
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