Posted on August 31, 2016
Elizabeth May, leader of the Canadian Green Party
[Ed. note – A couple of weeks ago I published an article in which I discussed the Green Party of Canada and the fallout between the party’s membership and its leader, Elizabeth May, over the BDS issue. At the party’s annual convention, August 5-7, delegates voted in favor of a resolution endorsing boycott, divestment, and sanctions of Israel as a part of the party’s platform. May, however, was outspokenly opposed to the measure and has threatened to resign.
The author of the article below explores the question of whether or not May might be motivated by Christian Zionist views of the state of Israel. I am also including a video of the film “Christian Zionism: the Tragedy and the Turning Point,” which recounts some of the history of the Christian Zionist movement and why it is counter to the teachings of Christ. ]
Canada: Could Christian Zionism Explain Green Party Leader’s Threats to Resign?
Elizabeth May’s response to Green Party members voting to oppose Canadian support for Israeli colonialism has been wildly anti-democratic. She has not simply disagreed with a majority of members, which could reflect healthy internal processes, but publicly derided the party’s procedures and members’ clearly expressed opinions. After diluting a resolution about revoking the Jewish National Fund of Canada’s charitable status strongly endorsed by members in an online poll, May threatened to resign if the party didn’t organize another vote on a BDS resolution members strongly backed in a pre-convention online poll, convention caucus and full convention vote.
The possibility of the Green Party leader resigning over BDS has thrust the Israel boycott into the news and will turn into a highly fortuitous development for the Palestinian cause if members remain steadfast. But, May’s actions make little sense from a Green perspective. As Maclean’s magazine pointed out, the party has more to gain by aligning with the growing number of Canadians critical of Ottawa’s support for Israeli colonialism. Only if one believes May could lose her seat in the House of Commons over the matter, which seems improbable, would embracing Palestine solidarity activism be bad electorally.
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!
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