What I find most exasperating about the CMHR controversy is that Israel Asper is now being touted as some sort of human rights activist. That is an oxymoron. In the human rights area, Mr. Asper will be forever remembered as an opponent of free speech and freedom of expression, when he ordered his journalists not to write any critical articles on Israel or report any negative Israeli actions in Palestine.

On the other hand, his chain of CanWest newspapers delighted in publicizing the wild exaggerated claims of Sol Littman, Ralph Blumenthal, Irwin Cotler, Efriam Zuroff, etc., of thousands of Nazi war criminals in Canada. Then, when it became obvious that there was no evidence of war criminality, he and his journalists enthusiastically supported the denaturalization and deportation policy of Allan Rock and Anne McLellan, which fraudulently equates alleged immigration infractions with war criminality. What self-respecting Ukrainian would even think of paying homage to a monument in honour of Israel Asper? [Perhaps Ukrainians should demand that the CMHR document and display this sorry episode in Canada’s history.]

I had never heard of the contemplated $35-50 million endowment fund with its “Unique Student Travel Program” that Blackrod refers to. It reminds me of a youtube video of a group of Israeli students being shunted off to Poland to be indoctrinated with the “Holocaust Victim Syndrome”. I shudder at the thought of Canadian schoolchildren being subjected to the propaganda of hate mongers.