Tory MP compares Hezbollah to Nazi Germany
by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch posted 1:30 p.m. August 22, 2006]

Tory MP Jason Kenney drew parallels between Hezbollah and German Nazis Tuesday.

OTTAWA  — A top Conservative MP blasted opposition MPs' calls for talks with Hezbollah and compared the group to the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany. 

Tory MP Jason Kenney, who is also Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary, accused Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, NDP MP Peggy Nash and Bloc MP Maria Mourani of providing political cover for the group during a fact- finding mission in the Mid East. 

All three MPs told reporters while in Lebanon this week that the government should consider changing its terrorism law to allow for talks with groups designated as terrorist organizations. 

Hezbollah is among the groups on Canada's list of terrorist organizations. 

Hezbollah has been active in Lebanese politics since 1992 and has elected MPs to the Lebanese Parliament, including two current cabinet ministers. 

However, the organization is also dedicated to eliminating Israel and has formally advocated establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon.

Wrzesnewskyj said in a statement that the terror law shackles efforts to bring peace to the region and Nash said it was "not helpful" labelling Hezbollah as a terrorist group. 

Nash noted that Hezbollah has representatives in the Lebanese Parliament. 

However, Kenney did not mince words during a half-hour press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday and said just because a group has political support does not mean it can be negotiated with. 

"There was another political party in the past which had support, democratic support, which provided social services, which played an important role in the political life of Germany in the 1930s, which was also dedicated to violence against the Jewish people," Kenney said. 

"The world was wrong to negotiate with that party and it would be wrong to negotiate with Hezbollah today and I'm shocked that Mr. Wrzesnewskyj doesn't understand that."

Kenney said the Conservative government does have anything to negotiate with people who are motivated by hatred and use violence against civilians.

"What do we negotiate?" he asked. "Their demand for the obliteration -- this is in their charter -- the obliteration of the state of Israel is non-negotiable."
 
Public Security Minister Stockwell Day said Monday there was no plan to change Canada's policy on Hezbollah or other terrorist groups. 

And one of the opposition party leaders, Interim Liberal Leader Bill Graham, tried to distance himself from the views of his MP on tour in the Mideast.

"Hezbollah is committed to the overthrow of the state of Israel and has demonstrated in both words and actions that it is committed to a policy of violent anti-Semitism," Graham said in a statement released Monday evening. 

"We still strongly support keeping Hezbollah on that list. Any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the official position of our party."

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