“It is vital for middle-power nations such as Canada to pursue a fair-minded and balanced foreign policy because it preserves our ability to act as an appropriate intermediary, helping to make peace between enemies, rather than simply validating the positions held by any one party.”
Interim Liberal Leader Bill Graham

Wow! I can just see Bill Graham trying to pursue that policy in 1939 when Hitler's panzers were sweeping across Poland. "Sorry, Mr. Chamberlain, but Canada isn't quite prepared to go to war with Germany because we feel we have to act an appropriate intermediary for peace rather than validating the positions held by any one party." In fact, I think someone in the Liberal Party had better scrounge up Mackenzie King's old Ouija Board and see if he's taking any calls, after making so many before he died.

Now, do I think Israel's response has been a bit over-the-top, particularly in it's air attacks on built-up urban areas (like Beirut)? The answer is probably 'yes'. And do I think that the Lebanese people that Hezbollah purports to represent have some legitimate grievances? The answer is again, yes. Because as easy as it would be to see things only in black and white, some shades of grey and other colours always inevitably creep in. After all, Hitler got as far as he did in the 1930s because a lot of people outside Germany agreed with his grievances against the post-WWI settlement.

But there comes a time when you have to get off that fence and take a stand for one side or the other. And when the choice lies between a modern democratic state (however imperfect some of its polices may be) and a group of thugs who are willing to kidnap and murder innocents to advance their goals (however commendable some of those goals may be); it should be an easy choice. And shame on Bill Graham for not making it!!