Gerald Steinberg

Whenever Jason Kenney picks a fight with an organization, it is helpful to ask, among several other questions, this one: “Hey, has the organization in question recently found itself on the wrong side of Israel’s most vocal defenders?” And indeed, in the case of Amnesty International, the answer is yes.

In the Star, Haroon Siddiqui provides the latest update on the surreal weirdness convulsing the Montreal organization Rights and Democracy. Perhaps the most interesting part of this column is the following graf, about three Rights and Democracy grants to NGOs working in the Middle East, including Al Haq, the bête noire of the organization’s newly-installed board majority:

From the Jerusalem Post, today’s absolute must read. The recent uproar over conflicts among government-appointed board members at the Montreal-based “Gongo” (government-sponsored Non-Governmental Organization) Rights and Democracy gets a very different read from a conservative Israeli analyst. For the background on the Rights and Democracy spat, read this story. Then turn to today’s op-ed by Gerald Steinberg in the Jerusalem Post, which heartily praises the group’s new direction. Steinberg also helpfully links the Rights and Democracy controversy to the government’s recent decision to cut funding to the ecumenical group Kairos. Which is odd, because Jason Kenney has angrily denied he meant what he said when he said Kairos’ funding was cut because of its stance on Israel.  Perhaps Mr. Steinberg is one memo behind in his Canada briefings. Or one ahead?