Canada's Foreign Minister defends support for Israel

OTTAWA (CP) - Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay struck back at critics Tuesday, calling Hezbollah a cancer-like group of "cold-blooded killers" that provoked the chaos and carnage in the Middle East.

There can be no peace in the region until the militant group and Israel agree to uphold a lasting ceasefire with clear conditions, he told a packed special meeting of the Commons foreign affairs committee. "This has to be a lasting peace," he said. "It cannot be simply a temporary solution to allow for the rearmament of the terrorist body and simply begin the violence again."

MacKay repeatedly expressed dismay over the deaths of hundreds of Lebanese civilians - many of them children - in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.

"Lebanon's being held hostage by Hezbollah," he said, noting the group was declared a terrorist body by a former Liberal government.

He called Hezbollah "a cancer on Lebanon" that's destroying democracy and stability in the country.

MacKay cast the situation as a no-brainer choice to support a democratic nation - Israel - as it defends itself against unprovoked attacks by Hezbollah, "a group of
cold-blooded killers."

MICHAEL McCAFFERTY SAYS:
I very much respect and admire Foreign Minister Peter MacKay. To date Minister MacKay has demonstrated outstanding and remarkable leadership as Canada's Foreign Minister.