XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: ont.politics, sk.politics, man.politics   
   From: "@nyet.ca   
      
   Let them pay for these pro-Israel ads out of Jewish-groups fundraising,   
   not taxpayers' dollars.   Bloody bigots.   
   _________________________________________________________________   
      
   The Huffington Post Canada  |   07/18/2014   
      
      
   Tories Release Pro-Israel Ad Amid War In Gaza, But They Don't Want   
   Everyone To See It (VIDEO)   
      
      
   As the conflict in Gaza escalates, the Conservatives have released a   
   dramatic new ad that highlights the party's staunch support for Israel,   
   but it seems they aren't looking for a wide audience.   
      
   Titled "Through Fire and Water", the web commercial features Prime   
   Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird speaking   
   about Canada's friendship with Israel interspersed with footage of the   
   PM's recent trip to Israel. The music accompanying the ad is reminiscent   
   of tracks used in movie trailers.   
      
   Comments on the video have been disabled and the clip was originally   
   "unlisted", which means YouTube did not display it in search results or   
   on any of the website's public pages. Essentially, you needed to be sent   
   a direct link in order to access the video. You couldn't even find it on   
   the Conservative's YouTube page.   
      
   Conservative communications director Cory Hann told HuffPost that   
   publishing the video unlisted was an "administrative error." The video   
   is no longer unlisted. Hann also pointed out that the clip was shared by   
   the party on Twitter and Facebook. Baird tweeted a link to the ad and   
   Harper retweeted it.   
      
   A link in the video's comments directs to a fundraising page for the   
   Conservative Party.   
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   Conservative pundit and consultant Gerry Nicholls, who worked with   
   Harper at the National Citizens Coalition, told Yahoo! News   
   the video is aimed primarily at Canada's Jewish community but also at   
   the Tory base, which is pro-Israel.   
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   "I suspect the Israel issue cuts well for the Conservative, in that it's   
   an issue that unites the Tories but divides both the NDP and Liberals.   
   If either NDP leader Thomas Mulcair or Liberal leader Justin Trudeau try   
   to match Harper's pro-Israel rhetoric it might alienate part of their   
   rank and file," Nicholls said. "So Harper basically owns this issue and   
   he's making the most of it."   
      
   Earlier this week former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra attacked the   
   Conservatives for playing politics with the conflict in Gaza.   
      
   "The Conservatives are shameless and disgusting," Alghabra said.  "There   
   is no limit to their ugly politics and no cause, no matter how tragic or   
   serious it is, they are unwilling to exploit."   
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   Alghabra made the comments after the Tories attacked him for a Facebook   
   post he made saying his thoughts and prayers were with the Palestinian   
   civilians caught in the "blind and cruel bombing." Aghabra later edited   
   the post to express concern for civilians on both sides.   
      
   Tory MP Costas Menegakis attacked Alghabra for the post but also   
   criticized Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for not "standing with Israel."   
      
   In April, Trudeau released a video with the title "We Have Israel's   
   Back." On Tuesday, Trudeau condemned Hamas for violating a ceasefire   
   agreement and launching rocket attacks on civilians.   
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   â€œIsrael has the right to defend itself and its people. Hamas is a   
   terrorist organization and must cease its rocket attacks immediately,â€�   
   Trudeau said in a statement.   
      
   Both the Liberals and NDP have called for negotiations that might lead   
   to a cessation of hostilities.   
      
   The Liberals have yet to comment on Israel's ground offensive. Trudeau   
   is currently away on vacation.   
      
   The Conservatives have long voiced support for Israel while criticizing   
   the Hamas government in Gaza.   
      
   Earlier in the week Baird slammed Hamas for violating the ceasefire. "It   
   is a conflict between an international terrorist organization and the   
   Jewish state," he said Tuesday. "Hamas started this bloodshed. Hamas can   
   end it."   
      
   Baird said he regrets the loss of life in the region and feels the   
   sympathy everyone should feel toward the innocent victims of the   
   conflict, but said Israel has been left with no choice but to defend itself.   
      
   Also this week, Baird attacked UN High Commissioner for Human Rights   
   Navi Pillay for criticizing Israel's rocket attacks on Gaza.   
      
   In 2012, Canada was among the nine countries that voted against granting   
   Palestine official status as a non-member state at the United Nations.   
   Many Canadians wrote to the Conservatives to express their outrage at   
   the move, with many complaining that the government does not represent   
   the views of Canadians on the region.   
      
   Early this year Harper became the first Canadian prime minister to speak   
   to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. During the trip. Harper was   
   feted with an honorary university degree, as well as a tour of a bird   
   sanctuary that will bear his name. He also visited the West Bank and   
   pledged $66 million in aid for the Palestinians.   
      
   Israel launched a ground offensive on Thursday after weeks of rocket   
   attacks from Gaza. More than 25 Palestinians were dead as of Friday   
   morning, including an infant, two children and a 70-year-old woman. One   
   Israeli soldier died in the operation and several others were wounded.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)