GENEVA, May 27, 2019 – The most courageous world leader in defending the equal rights of Israelis and Jews on the international stage is the 2019 recipient of UN Watch's Moral Courage Award, the human rights group announced today. The winner, Stephen Harper, served as Prime Minister of Canada for nearly a decade, from 2006 to 2015, when he distinguished himself at UN and other world assemblies for his principled stand in the face of vehement anti-Israeli bigotry and prejudice. The award will be presented at the UN Watch Annual Gala Dinner on June 13, 2019, in Geneva. Click here for tickets. UN Watch's 1-minute video on the award was posted on Facebook and already has drawn an astonishing 200,000 views. Resisted Bias of UN Human Rights Council Under Prime Minister Harper's leadership, Canada was the only country in the world to consistently vote against anti-Israeli resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council during the years 2006 to 2009. The United States had declined to join the new body, and Prime Minister Harper in that arena became leader of the free world. Faced with a barrage of anti-Israeli resolutions co-sponsored by the PLO, Iran, Syria and other tyrannical regimes, Canada under Prime Minister Harper was the only nation in the world to consistently call a vote, and to vote in opposition. In doing so, Mr. Harper defended the founding principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first draft of which was written by Canadian law professor John Humphrey. In history, no Canadian prime minister had ever before dared to cast the sole opposing vote in a United Nations body. Mr. Harper's government did so proudly and repeatedly. First to Pull Out of UN's Antisemitic Durban II Racism Conference Likewise, in January 2008, under Prime Minister Harper's direction, Canada was the first country in the world to pull out of the UN’s antisemitic Durban II Racism Conference, which took place in April 2009. Mr. Harper's moral example was eventually followed by President Obama when the U.S. withdrew, and by the governments of Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Poland and the Czech Republic. Blocked 61-Nation Francophonie's Bid to Blame Israel for Lebanon War In the summer of 2006, at the summit of the 61-nation Francophonie, Prime Minister Harper stood up to French President Jacques Chirac to prevent them from falsely blaming Israel for the 2006 Lebanon war.
Chirac said Harper's position flew in the face of "the great majority" of countries at the summit. At the time, The Jerusalem Post wrote: "Canadians should be proud of their government's leadership, which put France, the titular head of the Francophone summit, to shame. France revealed that it could not stand up to the 'great majority' when that majority was clearly in the wrong. Canada has proved that it could, giving hope not only for Canada, but for free nations the world over." Prevented G8 Summit From Endorsing Obama's 1967 Lines In May 2011, when leaders of industrialized nations gathered in in Deauville, France, for the G8 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Harper alone refused to support a communiqué that would endorse President Obama's position that negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis had to begin on the basis of a return to the 1949 armistice lines. "The Canadians were really very adamant," one European diplomat said.
As a result, thanks to Mr. Harper, the G8 was blocked from adopting the Palestinian position. "We Are Morally Obligated to Take A Stand" Despite pressure from many other countries, including close allies, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's position was clear: "When Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand." Time and time again, one man stood up against the whole world to do what was right. Join us in Geneva on June 13th to honour the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada: www.unwatch.org/gala. |
