National Post Editorial
October 4.2006

Harper's a Leader on the World Stage

Stephen Harper's decision to block an anti-Israel resolution at last week's Francophonie summit in Romania was an admirable show of principle.

Thanks to Egyptian amendments, the resolution in question would have condemned the recent Israel/Hezbollah war, recognizing the deaths and suffering experienced by Lebanese civilians caught in the crossfire, while ignoring the deaths and suffering of Israelis during the same conflict.

In the recent past, Canada's response to such an unbalanced proposal -- based on its voting pattern at the UN when Liberals were running this country -- would likely have been a dutiful nod or, at best, an abstention. But this time Canada stood its ground, unlike the majority of other Francophonie members -- including France -- who seemed perfectly happy to go along with the Eygptian-sponsored motion.

In his no-nonsense way, Mr. Harper saw the resolution for what it was -- a biased cheap shot against Israel -- and plainly stated his objections, without pausing to worry about how speaking the truth might sit with others.

The French were furious. Indeed, virtually the whole Francophonie organization seemed genuinely shocked by the sight of a leader with the gall to demand that Israel be given a fair shake -- hardly something a refined politician does in polite company.

Yet in the end, Harper won. The Francophonie members dropped the unfair resolution and unanimously agreed to a neutral statement that deplored the "dramatic consequences [of the war in Lebanon] for all civilian populations."

The symbolic victory is a harbinger of good things to come. What Mr. Harper has shown is that he cares more for what is right than what is popular amongst left-leaning political elites. Moreover, he has demonstrated that other countries, when confronted with such strong moral leadership, are open to persuasion.

During the last election campaign, many saw Mr. Harper's tendency to "tell it like it is" as a liability. Instead, his honesty is proving to be one of his most important assets. It is certainly paying dividends on the world stage.

© National Post 2006