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Israeli lobby causes concern They'll be on hand in Pettigrew tour But opponents are critical of move SEAN GORDON OTTAWA BUREAU THE TORONTO STAR OTTAWA—Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew begins a weeklong tour tomorrow of the Middle East, where he'll be accompanied at least part of the way by a Canadian group of pro-Israel lobbyists. Though the group is not part of the official delegation, their presence has raised concerns within Canada's Arab and Muslim communities, causing some to fret it may be a signal to the symbol-conscious region that Ottawa has tilted towards the Israeli side of the conflict. "It could be a hindrance to have someone with them touring around from the Israeli lobby ... it will make people wonder why only one group is accommodated on the ground," said Mazen Chouaib, executive director of the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations. Shimon Fogel and Marc Gold of the Canada-Israel Committee will be along for the Israeli portion of Pettigrew's trip. Hershell Ezrin, who heads the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, is also expected to be part of the group. The three received no official invitation from Pettigrew and will travel to the region independently, but they expect to be present at several events where he will meet Israeli lawmakers. Fogel said he isn't there to play a partisan or political role, and it's routine for the committee to travel alongside Canadian politicians when they visit Israel. A spokesperson for Pettigrew said it was also expected that representatives from Canadian Arab groups would tag along for the voyage, and stressed the official delegation comprised only the minister, a handful of opposition MPs, and a pair of aides. But Chouaib's group, as well as the Council on American Islamic Relations-Canada, said they haven't heard of anyone from their organizations travelling to the region to support Pettigrew. During his tour, Pettigrew is to meet Jordan's King Abdullah II, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Syrian President Bashar Assad. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename= thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid= 1107558613018&call_pageid=970599119419 Fair Use Notice The above is copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |